Nothing Will Ever Change That
by KuroKnights
Summary: Angel, a amnesiac girl rescued by Superman and trained by Wonder Woman joins the team and is all but lost. Jake, a member of the team, struggles with love, his powers, and his tendency to go on random thought tangents. Superboy/OC, language, graphic descriptions, same-sex pairings, and dark themes. Give it a shot, and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome. This is the story of two teenagers trying to find their way through life while dealing with... Well... All sorts of stuff! We worked really hard on it. This first chapter is written by Yamamoto Ameko. We're writing it together. We're already starting on chapter 3, so expect updates somewhat frequently. We sincerely hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: We only own our original characters, we don't own anything from the Young Justice universe. Or DC universe.**

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><p>The sunlight split the clouds in the early afternoon, chasing away the gloom of the night's thunderstorms. Soaring above the view-line of the city, the few remaining droplets whisked across Superman's face and dampened his dark hair - it did not last long, the wind whisking the moisture away almost faster than it could land. Being wet did not much concern him, either way. He had more important things to worry about, anyways. Like patrolling...<p>

He swerved through the air, though at this height it did not really feel like he had turned at all, and headed back over the city for a final sweep. So far it had been a quiet day in Metropolis, surprisingly little crime, probably the aftershock of the thunderstorms. Such weather was not common here at this time of year, and few had been prepared for it. Obviously, "few" included the Justice League. They were always prepared.

Usually.

The sound caught his attention first. Superman twisted in the air, hunting out the source of the wild flapping. The thing collided with him in midair, bouncing off his chest and flipping away again, down towards the paved city streets so many miles below. Superman did not think before diving after it - he had seen a few too many things fall to earth before, with nearly disastrous consequences. This... thing did not look particularly dangerous, more like a bundle of burlap sacks than a bomb or a meteor, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He tipped into a steeper dive, gaining on the falling potato sack. Ten feet from the tops of Metropolis' skyscrapers he scooped the thing out of its descent and zoomed back up into the clouds. The speed with which they collided gave the impression of hitting a piece of rock. A very, very breakable piece of rock.

His heart sank as he pulled down to a slower rise, looking to the floppy bundle in his arms. Not rock - only velocity had made it seem so hard. Now, already in contact, he could feel the fragility of the thing he carried. His brow furrowed in concern, he ripped back a flap of heavy fabric to look into the face of a girl. She looked seventeen, perhaps younger, with sunny hair streaked by orange and a delicate, oddly angled face. She lay peacefully in his arms, eyes closed by curling lashes, and he might have said she was sleeping, were it not for the slight trickle of scarlet staining her hair. The result of his impact, no doubt. He had not been careful. Why should he have been - human girls did not just fall out of the sky.

No... she could not be human. But could an alien pop out of the sky any better than a human could? Perhaps. His brow creased further, and he stared a little more closely at the child. She would have to be brought somewhere she would be no threat to the humans... somewhere distant and secluded and under a hero's watchful eye. His own Fortress of Solitude was about as secluded as she could _get_.

He shook his head slowly, then swerved away through the air, flying North to the great ice-lands where he had made his home. The trip was a short one, and the alien girl did not stir even after he touched down within the massive crystal facets of the Fortress. She lay in his arms, pliable and unresponsive, and after a moment he realized that he had no idea what he should do with the creature. She was clearly hurt, most likely by him, and what help was he going to be able to give her? Superman did not _get_ hurt. Superman had little experience with helping those who _were_ hurt. Superman usually swept in and saved the day, and the doctors took care of the wounded afterwards.

Superman was beginning to feel more than a little helpless.

Sucking in a long, deep breath, he laid the unconscious girl out along a flat plane of crystal and left her there. He crossed the Fortress, keeping the girl carefully in sight, and called Bruce.

"Bruce, I have something you need to see."

The voice which returned across the line was irritated. "How many times must I tell you not to call me Bruce on these lines?" Batman asked flatly. Superman chose not to answer - he _had_ been told a few times. "What have you got?"

"A girl," Superman answered, moving on before Batman could question it. "I don't know where she came from. She fell out of the sky."

He could almost feel the silence on the other end of the line, and Superman could only imagine what might be going through his friend's mind just then. He waited in silence, watching the prone shape of his... guest... from a careful distance, until Batman finally made his choice.

"Bring her here," he ordered quietly. "We'll figure out what to do with her then."

Superman grimaced slightly - the flight from the Fortress of Solitude to Gotham city took longer than he really wanted to spend flying around with a strange girl who might wake up at any moment, but he really had no choice. She was a security risk.

"I'll be there," he agreed, and then Batman was gone.

Batman looked up from his screen as Superman came into view, carrying with him what looked like a rather large and tattered burlap sack. Batman pushed up out of his seat, gesturing to his friend to follow him and leading the way to the table at the center of the batcave. Superman laid the sack carefully down, hoping that he would do the girl no more injury than he already had today. He looked up at Batman, who met his eyes evenly.

"I haven't checked her," Superman told his companion. Batman nodded silently, staring down at the small, delicate face which was all he could see of the creature from the sky. "Do you think she's human?"

"Hard to say," Batman answered flatly. "Many aliens _look_ human."

Superman grunted quietly in agreement, and the pair lapsed once more into silence. For one long moment they stood there, staring at their burlap-wrapped mystery, and then Batman moved. He reached out, pulling the burlap off of the prone figure of the girl. Superman half expected to find nothing but a broken human body, and in many ways they did. Tall and slender and garbed in what looked a lot like a white toga, she flopped limply as the cloth removed support, arm twisting out at an awkward and thoroughly unnatural angle. Quite human, quite broken... apart from what she was lying upon.

They had both seen wings before, so neither of them were quite as surprised as they might have been, were they normal businessmen unfolding a mysterious bundle they had found lying on the curb. Still, the sight of the great masses of white feathers stretching down from her shoulders, surprisingly unharmed, explained a fair few things in that moment. Why she had been in the sky, for instance. Once again, a long moment passed before either of them said a word.

"So what do we do?" Superman asked. Batman did not deign to respond, running his eyes across her body, searching out injuries. There were bones which had obviously been broken by her collision with Superman, but beyond that there were cuts and scrapes of the sort which came from combat, and perhaps from falling, not from slamming into a rock-hard surface. Wherever the girl had come from, her departure had not been peaceful.

Then there was the matter of her head. A great mass of her tawny hair had been stained to scarlet by the plasma oozing from a gash in her scalp. Already, Superman could see the bruising rising up around it, and he hoped that he had not been the cause of it. The headwound was, by far, the worst of her injuries.

"Do you think she'll wake up?" he asked, trying not to sound too worried. Then again, he did not have the heart of stone that Batman had grown.

"Eventually," Batman answered, brushing her scalp lightly and pulling back her hair to get a better look at the gash. "It needs treatment."

"Can you do it?"

"We don't know what she needs. We can handle this better at the Watchtower." In one sharp movement, Batman whipped the burlap back over the winged creature, hiding even her face. "Let's go."

At first, awareness came only as a fuzzy sense of light, and shadow, and perhaps a little sound. Everything was muffled - the world made up of grays and the sounds made up of murmurs she could not comprehend. A thud, a creak, whispering... much senseless whispering. Only the whispering was much too loud to be whispering. No, no, that was definitely shouting she heard... but in the distance? Behind a wall, perhaps? She drifted slowly in, then out, then in again, her consciousness wavering barely on the edge of stability. Each time she rose again out of the darkness, she came up a little further. She got the feeling that only a few minutes had passed, and yet she felt as though hours had flown by since she first opened her eyes. The voices were still shouting. She could hear their words now.

"She needs someone gentler," a woman was saying. "Someone more like she is."

"What do you mean?" a man demanded.

"She's a _girl_, Clark!"

"So what?" the man pressed. Through the dim sensation of pain and dizziness, she thought that the man must be remarkably thick to press the issue. That woman did not sound like the sort who lost arguments.

"So she needs someone more _like her_ to learn from," the woman's voice was quiet and level, and a little bit irritated.

"And why am I not like her?"

"You're a man."

It was at that moment that, finally, the girl managed to force her blue eyes open and stare up at the strange ceiling above her. The instant she did, she tuned out of the tense conversation. What she found around her was far more important than a pair of bickering... someones. She twisted around in the bed, searching, and recognizing nothing. Tubes and wires hooked her up to large, beeping... things. Those things... machines... she did not know exactly what they did, but she did not like them. This was wrong. All wrong.

Why was it wrong? She couldn't be sure. She didn't know anything. Where was she? How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered... but she didn't remember anything. Not even her name...

In that instant, her heart started racing. Who was she? She did not know but she knew that was not something someone should forget. Who was she... who was she? Slowly, her thoughts echoing in the vast emptiness of her mind, she felt herself tensing up. The monitors began beeping incessantly, measuring out the pace of her panic. She might very well have built up the tension enough to scream, had they not walked in at that moment. The soft hiss of well-oiled hinges alerted her to their presence, and she looked wildly around, searching them out as they came through the door.

"D'you think she's awake yet?" the man asked as he came through, dressed all in red and blue with a cape sweeping along behind him. He was a powerful, striking man, dark-haired and blue-eyed and she was sure she had never seen anyone like him... of course she hadn't. She'd never seen anyone before, so far as she knew.

"Possible. You hit her pretty hard," the woman answered. She looked vastly similar to the man - dark haired and garbed in red and blue, only she wore a crown of sorts. Neither of them looked around as they came through the door, and the girl held her breath, half hoping the strangers would not see her. If she was lucky they would decide to leave.

Apparently luck was not one of her most prominent attributes. The woman looked around, spotted the girl staring, and gestured to her companion, who also turned to stare. The girl felt herself shrink back into the bed, almost involuntarily. What would these people do to her?

"Hello," the woman called in a soft, gentle voice. The girl shuddered slightly in fear, and in some ways relief. At the very least, the woman seemed friendly. "How are you feeling?" The girl bit her lip tightly and did not answer. The woman glanced at her towering companion, and they shared what seemed to be a worried frown before turning back to the terrified patient. "We're not going to hurt you. I promise."

She would have liked to respond, but the girl found that her throat had swollen shut with fear. It was all wrong - why it was wrong, she could not be certain, but something inside told her that it was all very, very wrong. She should have memories. She knew things now that she did not remember learning - she understood language, knew how to talk, knew how to walk... knew how to fly. Why she knew any of these things, however, she could not have said. That frightened her.

The woman drew a long sigh and seemed to hesitate for a moment, collecting her thoughts before turning once more to the big man in blue and red.

"Maybe it would be better if I spoke to her alone?" the woman suggested quietly.

"Diana, I-" the man started, but she cut across him.

"Just for a moment," Wonder Woman assured him. "Then you can come back. Just let me try to calm her down."

The big man turned once more to the girl, quaking beneath her sheets, then nodded in agreement and turned around. He vanished back through the door as Wonder Woman approached the bed, soft-footed and quiet, watching the girl warily, as though waiting for her to bolt.

"Do you understand me?" Wonder Woman asked gently, coming to a halt and dropping into a crouch beside the girl's bed. The girl, uncertain that she could trust this stranger, took a moment in fear before nodding. Wonder Woman's smile softened. "Don't mind Superman. He's just worried about you." She stopped, as though waiting for the girl to answer, but when the girl opened her mouth no words came out. Her throat felt dry and swollen, as though she had not spoken in months. Had she? She wasn't sure. It didn't matter. Wonder Woman pressed on, undeterred. "I know this must be scary, but I promise you're safe here. No one will hurt you."

Once again, the girl responded with a shaky nod. She was relieved that seemed to be enough for Wonder Woman. She did not want to talk yet - she was not sure whether she had anything to say.

"We know you've lost your memory," Wonder Woman told her, and the girl flinched. They knew? She hadn't known that was _possible!_

Drawing a deep breath, she managed to force enough air through her throat to form a word. "How?" she croaked, and watched as relief danced across Wonder Woman's face.

"We have a telepath on our team," she answered immediately, and the girl could tell she spoke the truth. "We had to have him scan you, to make sure you weren't a threat." She paused, as though expecting the girl to speak again, but the girl had lapsed once more into silence. Wonder Woman drew a long sigh, straightened her thoughts, and plowed ahead once more. "Do you have anything you would like to be called?" she asked softly. The girl's brow furrowed in confusion. "A name. We need something to call you."

The girl blinked slowly, and she felt the prickling heat of tears deep behind her eyes. Her name... she did not even have a name. Though the tears came nowhere near the surface of her blue gaze, Wonder Woman seemed to sense them there. She reached out and laid one hand over the girl's. Her touch was calm and steady, broken only by the patched against the girl's skin.

"It's alright if you don't remember," Wonder Woman whispered. "We've been calling you Angel. Does that sound alright to you?"

Angel could do nothing but nod her agreement.

"Does anything hurt?" Wonder Woman asked her quietly, leaving the uncomfortable subject of her memory behind.

"No," Angel whispered, frowning slightly. The truth was she could barely feel anything at all - she knew her body was there, she could feel that her wings were still attached to her back, but she doubted she could have moved them. These people must have given her something for the pain.

"Good," Wonder Woman murmured, smiling quietly. "Is it alright if Superman comes back now?"

Angel whispered her consent, and Wonder Woman straightened up again, walking back to the door. She opened it and called the big man back in. Superman... the name suited him, Angel thought. He was gigantic, for one, at least he seemed so to the small-framed girl lying in the hospital bed. And yet... it was more than his size that made his name fit. There was something about him, an aura of power that seemed to follow Superman everywhere he went. Pure, unfettered strength. Still, he watched her through eyes that were both curious and concerned. He seemed simply... _good_ to Angel. He screamed goodness, even more than Wonder Woman did.

Cape sweeping along behind him, Superman approached her bed. He did not kneel to her level as Wonder Woman had, but the way he looked at her made it clear he was just as worried about making her feel comfortable. Slowly, Angel found herself relaxing in the presence of these two bright-colored beings. Where she was seemed inconsequential. She knew that she was safe.

"How are you feeling?" Superman asked softly. His voice was shockingly quiet for someone of his size.

"Better," Angel answered, watching in an odd sort of fascination as relief flickered through his eyes.

"Um..." Superman hesitated slightly, glancing at Wonder Woman, who gestured almost impatiently for him to continue. He sighed quietly and looked back at Angel. "You have two choices to make, Angel," he told her. "You need to stay with us, so we can keep you safe. You can either stay here, in the Watchtower, or you can help us down on Earth. Help us save people."

Angel stared at Superman, only half comprehending. Earth, he had said. She knew she should know that word, but where she should know it from, she could not say. She felt recognition nudging at the back of her mind, some impatient memory that slipped out of her grasp every time she reached for it. The stirrings of frustration distracted her for a moment, and then she returned to the situation at hand. Stay here or help. Help to protect people. She did not understand how that was a choice.

"I want to help," she told them softly, her voice still weak. Superman and Wonder Woman exchanged a short glance, before Wonder Woman continued. She seemed... satisfied by Angel's response. Angel was glad.

"Then you have another choice to make," Wonder Woman continued softly. "You must learn to defend yourself, if you want to go to Earth with us. You can come to Themyscira and train with me," she offered softly. "Or you can stay in Metropolis and learn from Superman."

Angel's brow furrowed in confusion. Themyscira? Metropolis? These words - these places - were strange to her, but it didn't matter all that much. She knew where she wanted to go. She looked to Wonder Woman, following her first instinct, because instinct was all she really had left to guide her.

"I want to go to Themyscira."

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><p><strong>This chapter was written by Yamamoto Ameko. <strong>

**Hope you enjoyed chapter 1! More to come soon. PLEASE review. Any and all feedback is appreciated. It was a lot of fun to work with her and create this story. Thanks for reading! Again, REVIEW. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! This is Jake's intro chapter. He's a really fun character to write, I enjoyed creating his template and working him out. He's precisely why this story is rated M actually... His vocabulary, thoughts, and in future chapters his mannerisms. He's sort of like Wally and Dick combined, just with a lot more sass. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Jake slowly opened his eyes, as the annoying blaring of his alarm roused him from his rather deep slumber. 6:00 am already? Jesus time went by fast when you were having a good dream. Speaking of which, what was he even dreaming of? Of course he couldn't remember it. He never remembered the best ones. But he was sure it revolved around a certain someone, judging by the morning wood poking out of his boxers. Oh joy. Oh well. Not like he had time to deal with it anyways. He sat up and blinked rapidly trying to get the dust out of his eyes, as he was too lazy to actually move his arms at the moment.<p>

He slowly moved his legs over to the side of the bed, not bothering to take the covers off of his body. He got up off of the bed and slowly walked over to his full body mirror. He still hadn't bothered to take the covers off, and so his blankets and sheets followed him halfway to the mirror before finally falling off and landing in puddles of fabric. Looking at himself in the mirror, he discovered absolutely nothing had changed. He still had his lean muscular build, his same short dark spiky hair, and his blue eyes that would turn red whenever there was a threat. Another average day of balancing school, hero life, and his undying hardcore crush on Superboy. What? Yeah he was gay, and yeah, he had a crush on Superboy. Who didn't? Have you _seen_ him? The kid was gorgeous!

"Not the time, Jake... Focus on getting ready." He nodded to himself in the mirror, before ambling over to his dresser. As he slowly made his way over, he glanced around his room. Spotless, but boring. No posters, blue walls, and colorless sheets and blankets. Blankets that were currently strewn across the floor due to his seemingly endless supply of laziness that would always attack him whenever he was at his house**.** What? He may be gay but he was still a _guy_. He liked to break stereotypes, so sue him. He reached his destination of his dresser. Again nothing special about it. He opened his top drawer and pulled out a long sleeved shirt with a weird swirling pattern on it. Perfect because it was just starting to get a little cold where he was located. On the outskirts of Star City.

"Jake, what the hell man? Did you use my shampoo last night?" A female voice yelled from outside his door. Oh... _She_ was awake. Well... At least he'd have some background noise, right? He pulled the shirt over his head, and then closed the drawer. He lowered his gaze to where his pants were located. He opened the drawer and pulled out a pair of jeans. They'd look good with the shirt he had on, so he pulled them on without a second thought. "Still waiting for answer out here... Did you die? If you're dead I am _not_ playing for your funeral." The insistent voice said.

"Good morning to you too, sis." He called back, not even turning his head to the door. His answer to that was a small curse at him, and then her footsteps going down the stairs. He finished the rest of his morning routine, before finally exiting his room. He sighed as he trudged down the stairs and into the kitchen. Where his sister sat cross-legged on her chair. Flaming red locks of hair loosely fell about her shoulders. She was only wearing a t-shirt and very short shorts. She had a piece of toast dangling from her mouth, as she was not using her hands to eat. Her hands were currently busy tinkering with his two swords. His sister was his blacksmith, mechanic, mother, and sometimes even best friend. Her name was Isara, she was 26. Isara was a totally different from Jake, right? He thought so too. But it was their mother's fault. She loved to be creative with names. But their mother was no longer around. She died when Jake was 10. It was hard, but his sister was able to pick up the slack. They were actually pretty well off, for such a tragic story.

"So, how are they doing?" Jake asked as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. Isara didn't even look at him, as she was too focused on her tune-up.

"They're fine. Once I'm done with these your swords are gonna be sooooo badass! Now they can cut right through steel and cement! Well... You'll still have to use a large amount of force to do that, but at least you _can_ do it!" She grinned proudly, but still didn't bother to look up from her project. Jake merely sipped his juice loudly, pretending to be unimpressed. Though he was quite impressed, he'd be damned if he didn't take this golden opportunity to piss her off. "Obvious troll is obvious." She deadpanned, still not looking up. Well there goes that plan. At least he tried.

"You know me too well~. So what else can they do, now?" He said, moving over to the table and leaning on it. A genuinely curious look found its way onto his face. He knew a little of what Isara did with his weapons, but he had no idea what she was doing now. "I mean... In terms of new features and stuff."

"Well for starters, they are officially bullet proof. Also this one..." She picked up the one to her left. "Is just a _little_ bit lighter than the other. You won't be able to notice when swinging normally, but just keep in mind you'll need to use more force when trying to break something with it." Bullet proof was good. Bullet proof was very good. Now he could actually stand there and not get hit. Unlike Superboy who was literally invulnerable.

"Soooo... When are they gonna be ready? I kinda need them. Because... I gotta go." He said, only now looking at the clock that read 6:45. He needed to move like he had a purpose if he wanted to make it to school on time.

"Calm your tits. They're ready now." She finally looked up at him with her bright green eyes. She picked both of his swords, gave them one last look over, before throwing them to him. Scratch that, _at_ him. Jake caught them both with ease, and used his powers to cloak them all in one swift motion. A bored expression on his face. "I'm never gonna get tired of seeing that." Isara pretended to swoon.

"I know you love it." Jake said, giving his sister a nod before making his way to the door. He put his shoes on, before turning his head back. "I'm off! I promise I won't die." He called out in the direction of the kitchen where he could hear the microwave going.

"You better not! If you die you owe me 20 bucks!" She called out in response. He laughed and put on his shoes. He opened the door and was about to exit when his sister poked her head in the room. "Two things. First, you forgot your backpack. Dumbass. Second, if you see Kid Flash today tell him I said '_hello~'_." She finished with a seductive tone. Isara had a crush on Kid Flash. A big one. Jake would try to tell her she was being a pedo-bear, but she couldn't give a rat's ass. So when she found out that Jake would be seeing him _every day_, she went insane. He had to deal with her jealousy and fangasms for weeks. Oh wait. He still was. Oh yeah. His backpack. He bolted up to his room, grabbed his pack, and then left.

"Isara, that's gross. He's _15._ And you're 26! That's like... Wrong!" He said, before bolting out of the house. He couldn't hear what she said, but he was sure it would be something about his crush on Superboy. Oh well. Jake sighed as he made his way to school. Quicker than normal, because he was short on time. Jake Stevens was a pretty normal guy. Except for the fact that he was a gay superhero. His powers were entirely telekinesis. Not unusual, but it's how he used them that made him unique. Sure, he had weapons. But almost never actually held them. He knew how to use them damn well, but he'd usually control them with his mind. So he'd be there, controlling his swords while he stood back. There were times when he'd have one in hand, and be controlling the other. There were also times when he would just hold both, and actually sword fight.

He could pick up and use virtually anything... Just like his teammate M'gann could. Often times the two of them would play catch with random objects using just their powers. Which would bring Wally no end of amusement. One time they even played catch using Wally _himself_. Now that was fun. But in reality, he really only used his swords. Those were enough for him. Oh there was another thing. His eyes would change colors during battles, or whenever he sensed a threat. He was no psychic, but he just got this feeling whenever something dangerous was around. His eyes would turn red whenever he felt an immediate threat. Something his teammates greatly valued.

He shook his head of his mental review, as he tripped over the curb. He'd made it to school. Oh joy. Well... He'd touch up more on that later.

**"Recognized. Sacrifice B-08." **The computer announced Jake's arrival to Mount Justice. He was in his uniform. His uniform consisted of a mask very similar to Robin and Red Arrow's, black pants, a form fitting top that was very dark blue, and a black cloak. It didn't have a hood, but it was great. It was a gift from his sister. There was no telling the things it could shield him from.

"Hey Jake, what goes on?" Wally greeted him, garbed in his yellow and red Kid Flash suit. The two fist bumped.

"Same old same old, Walls." Jake replied. "Where's Rob, at? Or is he doing the ninja thing again?"

"Ninja thing." Wally replied. Jake shook his head. Robin really needed to stop doing that without warning. He wandered over to where Artemis, Superboy, and M'gann were chatting.

"Hey guys. What's up?" They all turned and gave him their various greetings. Artemis punched him in the arm, M'gann waved and said hello, Superboy merely nodded his greeting. Superboy may be a little awkward but good GOD that boy was attractive. Jake had to actively _try_ not to stare at him.

"Nothing much, Jake. M'gann and I were just teasing Supey here about his irrational hatred of monkeys." Artemis said. "As far as we _know, _there's no reason behind it. Unless you're hiding something." She turned and smirked up at him.

"Yeah, Superboy how come you won't tell us? Secret secrets are no fun!" M'gann chimed in, giggling a little bit. Superboy growled a little.

"I just... Hate monkeys okay? Why is that such a big deal?" Superboy asked. Clearly getting a little exasperated.

"Because it's so weird! Why monkeys out of all the things to hate?" Jake tuned out of the conversation. He had lost the inner struggle of not staring. And now he was openly gawking at Superboy. This was a problem. He needed to vacate the area before, crap! Superboy noticed! Red alert! Red alert! Evacuate! Evacuate! Ohhhh he was so happy he had his mask on. If Superboy were to see how much lust, want, love, and need were in Jake's eyes there would be a major problem! That didn't make him safe though. He was still looking at Superboy. The emergency was now smoking. He was overloading his own emergency system. How long had he been in the base? 5 minutes? This was rushed. Way too rushed. Okay he needed to get away. Like now.

Jake spun on his heels and left the conversation. Artemis and M'gann were too busy teasing Superboy to notice Jake leaving. Unbenounced to him, that Superboy had actually followed him. Artemis and M'gann barely noticed the Kryptonian's absence. Jake went clear to the other side of the room, and shook his head. He lightly slapped both his cheeks to get them to cool off. Woah, that was intense. He had to get himself under control. Otherwise, how the hell would he last for the months to come? Months? Years? Ah whatever, however long this team would exist would be hard if he didn't get over this crush. Okay, okay... Be cool.

"Hey." Jake jumped into the air, and let out a very unmasculine squeak. He whipped around to face the voice. Fuck. He was now face to face with Superboy. Well, actually more like face to chin because Superboy was taller than he was.

"H-Heeey Supey! What's up?" Jake faked a smile so hard he thought his face would shatter.

"Uh... Well... Why did suddenly run off back there? After I saw you staring at me..." Superboy said, scratching the back of his neck. Jake was internally panicking.

"What? Oh... Yeah! I uh... Sorry I wasn't looking _at_ you, I was just spacing out... Sort of." Jake tried. Which got him a look from Superboy.

"I may not be that smart, but I know a lie when I see one." Superboy crossed him arms over his chest. Ohhhh those magnificent arms... Anyways!

"Uhhhhh... Ehehehe..." Jake nervously laughed, slowly starting to inch away.

"So are you gonna tell me, or what?" Superboy pressed.

"**Recognized, Batman 02. Recognized, Wonder Woman 03." **The team simultaneously turned their heads to see Wonder Woman and Batman appear and walk towards them. Well... Wonder Woman walked towards them. Batman stayed behind, and had started typing on the holographic computer screen that was located right next to the zeta-beam. The computer announced that Batman had granted access to someone else. But who? Jake's answer was quickly answered as a girl with hair the gold of fire appeared. She walked in only a few steps, and took the first opportunity she found to hide herself behind Batman, at least partially. She watched the team through wide, nervous blue eyes, hair hanging in her face like a veil. Who the hell was this?

"Ohhhh who's this fine specimen of woman?" Wally of course, was the first to speak up.

"Dude. So not the time." Robin said elbowing him in the chest. When the hell Robin even got there was a mystery.

"This is your new teammate, Fever. Treat her with the utmost respect and kindness as you would your other teammate. She's been through a lot." Wonder Woman said. Fever? The

_fuck_? Okay. That was. Weird. Okay weird was under statement. Wonder Woman motioned for Fever to come out into full view.

Carefully, as though someone were going to jump up and bite her, Fever stepped out into view. Her clothes were more than form-fitting, ivory white. The top bore only a single strap over the shoulder, patterned with feathers that shimmered and morphed their color like fire. Small slits ran down the skin-tight pants, baring pale skin in perfect diamond shapes, ending in knee-high boots of nearly the same pattern as her sleeve. She clasped her hands - gloved - in front of her. All of this seemed rather insignificant, however, in the face of the pair of pure white wings beating anxiously behind her. Wait, wings? Was she a relative of Hawkgirl or something? Jake was very confused.

"Yes. She has. I expect you all to respect her space if she asks for it. Are we clear?" Batman said, walking over to stand beside Wonder Woman. He was looking directly at Wally when he said that last part.

"Crystal." Robin said, making his way over to Fever. The girl took a step back, but then returned to her normal stance. That almost looked impulsive, to Jake. "Hey there. I'm Robin. That's Kid Flash, Aqualad, Artemis, Miss Martian, Sacrifice, and Superboy." Robin said with his signature half smirk half smile on his face. He gestured to each member as he introduced them. Each of them showing their acknowledgement in return. A grin from Wally, a nod from Kaldur, a single wave from Artemis and Miss Martian, a two fingered salute from Jake, and an eyebrow raise from Superboy. Jake swore it must take a lot for Superboy's expression to change.

The team moved over to Fever and gave their own personalized welcomes and introductions. Jake was reluctant, but he too ventured over to her but remained half behind Kaldur. Fever on the other hand, despite all the attention, had not said a word. She did however, look fascinated by Robin. As she was taller than he was.

"She'll be taking up residence here. Miss Martian, Superboy, make sure she gets what she needs." Wonder Woman said, casting a protective look at Fever. That's when it clicked in Jake's mind. She'd been trained by _Wonder Woman! _Okay. So she was definitely someone who could hold her own, if not more than that.

Fever had moved on to stare at Superboy, looking confused, fascinated, and frightened all at the same time. She tipped her head slightly, wings ruffling curiously, as though they had secret minds of their own and she did not realize what they were followed her gaze, wondering what she was so intent on looking at. When he realized she was looking at Superboy, he suddenly got protective. Umm... What right did she have to look at _his_ crush? Alright. First impression of Fever: Stay the hell away from his crush. Forever.

"So Fever, what's your story?" Wally asked her. Eyebrow raised in a seductive way. Totally unsubtle. Fever turned almost too quickly, throwing her hair over one shoulder and looking at Wally, shocked that he had spoken to her.

"Um... I don't know?" she answered in a clear, melodic voice, as though talking, for her, was the same as singing.

"Oh really? Well how come you're working with Wonder Woman, then? Is she like your mentor or something?" Wally continued. Moving a little closer. Artemis put her hands on her hips and full on glared at Wally. Wally flat out ignored the glare in return.

"I suppose so. She taught me to fight," Fever answered, but her gaze had wandered back to Superboy. If flickered then to Kaldur, and then to Robin, then back to Wally. "Are you males?" she asked, more abruptly than might have been expected. She seemed to have relaxed a bit. Kaldur, Robin, and Wally seemed taken aback.

"Yes. We are indeed male. What brought that question to mind, might I ask?" Kaldur asked her. Eyebrows raised. Jake gaped. How did she do that? Wasn't it like... _Obvious_ they were guys? Apparently not. He scoffed under his breath.

"I've never seen a little male before," she answered with unabashed honesty. "Only big ones. Like Batman." Wonder Woman seemed pleased with this. Batman was just.. Batman. Poker faced as usual. Jake was beside himself. What was wrong with this chick? She was just so damn weird! Time to get to the bottom of this.

"Really? You haven't seen any teenaged guys before?" Jake spoke, finally stepping fully into the circle. Fever jumped sharply, looking around with wide eyes. She hadn't noticed him.

"N-no?" she answered quietly. "Never." Jake decided to keep his sass down for now. At least until Wonder Woman and Batman left.

"Oh. Well... Here we are, I guess. So... What are your powers? If you don't mind me asking, that is." Jake could put up the best masks when he wanted mentally patted himself on the back.

"Um..." Fever paused, as though she had to think about it. She hadn't thought of them as powers before, really. She'd never had to live without them. "Well... I can fly." Jake had to hold back the 'no fucking shit sherlock' his mind was screaming.

"Yeah but like... I mean. Besides flying what can you do? Do you have any weapons to use or anything?" He gave her his innocent smile, as he continued to secretly map her out.

"Wonder Woman taught me to use swords?" Fever answered, wondering if that counted. "And... I heal people?" She was doing her best to dig up little facts and answer their questions. She didn't want to disappoint them, but it was so hard to think of anything to say. She couldn't remember.

"Why don't you show her around?" Wonder Woman suggested calmly.

"Alright. Come with me Fever! I'll show you around, since I live here. We're going to be basemates!" M'gann walked up to Fever and grasped Fever's hands. "Oh my gosh, you're really warm! I guess that's why they call you Fever, huh? Um... Anyways! Well, time to start the tour. Come on, you guys come too!" Oh yay. Another tour of the base. At least he could use this opportunity to observe her mannerisms and stuff. If she tried anything, his eyes would turn red.

Fever, swept up in the tide of M'gann's enthusiasm, followed along with wide-eyed curiosity. She watched everything that went by, lips parted slightly in wonder. She had been two places in her life - Themyscira and the Watchtower. Every new place was a marvel to her. Jake meanwhile stared her down. Unimpressed with the adorable level of curiosity and wonder she displayed. What? He didn't like newbies. Especially not this one. He did the same thing to Artemis when she arrived. Though once Wally and Artemis started their little fight-all-the-time thing, he went with befriending her. He liked being the one to be different.

The tour went through the whole base. Different members of the teams taking over as tour guide for different sections of the base. Even Jake did a little touring. Much to his inner displeasure. They had to show her the front door, and the back door, and the beach, and the kitchen, and **everything.** Jake was not pleased by the end of it, when they showed her the room she would be using.

"This is your room. Superboy's room is just around the corner, and mine is down the hall. If you need _anything_, just let me know okay?" M'gann said. Then she lightly hit her head. "Hello, Megan! I forgot to ask if you have any luggage! Do you have any clothes, or anything else?" There was no end to how much that phrase 'Hello Megan' irritated Jake. He adored M'gann, but good god he could not stand that phrase. Fever blinked in surprise, again, staring at M'gann. These people were all so... friendly. And weird. Very weird.

"N-no," she answered. "I don't have anything. I've... never had anything."

"Oh. Well that's depressing." Jake said without thinking. As soon as he said it he covered his mouth. "I mean... It's just that usually people have boxes of stuff to bring with them. Unless... Okay I'm just gonna shut up now." Jake mentally chastised himself for letting his mask slip. He was not happy with himself. Such a careless mistake. Luckily his teammates didn't even care about his slip up. In fact it looked like they were thinking the same thing.

Fever, meanwhile, had covered her mouth as well. But she was trying to stifle a giggle. "Depressing?" she asked between hiccuping laughter.

"Well... I mean... Yeah... But that's just my own personal thing. I know if I moved here, I'd have so much stuff I'd need to knock down a wall and use two rooms just to store stuff." He said. His friendly mask going back up.

"Yes we know, Jake. I've seen your room. You could fill half the base easily!" Artemis said, giving him a friendly punch in the shoulder. Which he laughed softly at. Artemis was his closest girlfriend, after all.

"I don't think I've ever seen that much stuff," Fever observed lightly. "This place is so big!" Jake again held his tongue from shouting the obvious 'Well it is a fucking mountain'. If anyone were to ever hear his thoughts...

"Yeah well we _are_ in a mountain~." Wally said. Jake was so thankful for Wally at that moment.

Fever only laughed at that. She did not seem to have a real grasp on sarcasm, or any form of hostility. "That's true," she agreed, smiling slightly. She had relaxed by now - at the very least, her wings had stopped their nervous beating. The beating that had irritated Jake to no end. Not that he was going to say that, anyways. He wasn't about to slip-up _again_.

"Yeah so... If we're done here... I think I'm gonna head home. There's no mission after all. Right?" Jake said, slowly backing out of the room.

"Yes. I believe we have the night to ourselves." Kaldur answered with his normal slow and soft tone. Something Jake really appreciated about the guy.

"Maybe we should like... I don't know. Try and bond a little as a team? Since we just got this new hottie- I mean, teammate. Yeah. Don't you think so, Fever?" Wally said, totally thinking he was so clever by slipping the 'hottie' in there.

"Angel," the girl corrected quietly. "My name is Angel."

"You certainly are..." Wally swooned openly. Artemis elbowed him in the chest, which roused him from his undeniably perverted fantasy. "The name's Wally. Wally West. See I completely trust you with my secret I.D." He got uncomfortably close and did the seductive eyebrow thing again.

"Would just for _once_, keep it in your pants?" Artemis said.

"Keep what in his pants?" Angel asked blankly, not at all uncomfortable with Wally's proximity. Jake's jaw hit the floor. The rest of the team flustered and looked highly uncomfortable. Even M'gann. Even _Superboy_.

"Uhh..." Robin started.

"It means..." Artemis said while blushing.

"Uhhh... Angel~! You must be tired. Why don't we leave you alone so you can get your bearings?" M'gann said. Attempting to get everyone out of there as soon as physically possible.

"U-um, sure?" Angel answered, looking a little surprised by the sudden departure. Jake and the team evacuated the immediate vicinity in record time. The fastest being Wally of course because of obvious reasons.

Jake hurried his way to the zeta beam, so he could get home as soon as possible. He sighed as he took the zeta beam back to Star City, where it landed him in an abandoned and seemingly beaten up telephone booth in a back alley. Similar to the one in Gotham, but not quite the same. Him and Artemis had used it once, when they went to Gotham for the day just to have fun. She seemed to know her way around pretty well, for a tourist. Well... At least he thought she was a tourist. Whatever. He walked the long 15 minutes home, and on the way he mentally reviewed his day.

It was pretty damn normal, save for the new teammate. Well the team had more girls now, that was good. But she was TOTALLY crushing on Superboy, and he was not having that. As far as he _knew_, it was just him crushing on Superboy. But not anymore. If it came down to it, he would go fisticuffs with Fever over Superboy. You think he wouldn't. Nobody moves in on his territory. In his very anime-like thoughts, his chibi self took a chair to a chibi Fever's head. He rather enjoyed the way his brain worked. Oh right, her name was actually Angel. Whatever.

Jake opened the door to his house, and entered. He closed the door behind him, and let himself fall against it.

"Awwwww long day? I thought you were the big manly man of the house~. That's not like you!" Isara's head poked around the corner. "Or did you get lucky and it tired you out?" Jake slipped off his shoes, and made his way past her.

"You wish. I guess you could say I had a long day... Oh well. Tomorrow will hopefully be better." Jake said wandering up to his room. He slipped into his room, and closed the door with his foot. Not bothering to get undressed, he flopped onto his bed and stared at his ceiling. The feeling of calm already spreading over him. "This ceiling always calms me down, no matter what mood I'm in. 'And nothing will ever change that', right mom? Those were your favorite words."

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><p><strong>This chapter was written by KuroKnights. FeverAngel written by Yamamoto Ameko.**

**A/N: So what did you think? Please for the love of all that is good, review. I saw a lot of hits and visitors but NO reviews. Come on guys, please? This chapter was even more fun to work on, since Jake's life is pretty much average. For NOW anyways. Chapter 3 is well underway, so expect an update soon! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello! Chapter 3! This is the first of two consecutive Angel-centered chapters. Which in two, will get two Jake's in a row starting on Chapter 5. We introduce a new OC in this chapter! Enjoy!**

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><p>The great, sucking slurp of Clayface's footsteps brought bile up into Fever's throat. The creature disgusted her, and she was one of those people who struggled hard not to judge by appearance. She hovered overhead, just out of the thing's reach, wings beating steadily to hold her and her sword in place. Her limbs were shivering with fear, and that made it very difficult to fight, but she was doing her best. So was everyone else.<p>

It wasn't helping. That was the problem with fighting mud. It was pretty hard to damage.

Glancing wildly around, Fever swerved through the air, over Clayface's head, to meet up with Sacrifice on the other side. She had taken to sticking close to him; maybe because they both used swords, maybe because his name sort of implied he would someday need saving, she wasn't sure. She just found that most of the time when she wasn't sure where she should be or what she could do, she wound up next to him.

"How do we stop it?" she asked the room at large, in her thoughts of course. Telepathic conversation had become remarkably comfortable for Fever. She almost preferred it.

"Well since it absorbs every single attack we throw at it, maybe we should just try and blow it up?" Jake answered.

"Won't it just re-form?" M'gann asked, narrowly avoiding the swinging, wet arm of Clayface.

"It's worth a try!" Robin answered. Fever beat her wings sharply, carrying herself backwards. She wasn't sure what Robin was going to do, but she was fairly certain she did not want to be within range when it happened. Out of the corners of her eyes she watched the rest of the team doing exactly what she had done. She had been here for the least amount of time - they all knew even better than she did the chaos that Robin could cause. Fever watched him reach into his belt, pull out a handful of whatever it was he chucked around when he made things explode, and decided that it would be better for her eyes if she didn't look. At the very last instant she snapped her wing inwards, hiding her face from the brilliance of fire. And from the flying mud.

The subsiding roar of flames and the low hiss of falling smoke called Fever out of the shelter of her blackened-white wings. She shook her hair out of her face, peering through the wind-tossed strands in search of the great malformed lump which was all she hoped would be left of Clayface. But what she found was not a malformed lump. Fever barely had time to beat her wings and send herself shooting upwards, nearly hitting the ceiling, before Robin and Kid Flash went flying through the spot where she had just been, hurled away from the infuriated monster in one wild swing. She whipped around to stare through the settling cloud of dust, heart racing in panic. It hadn't worked. Two down. What did they have left to try?

She didn't have time to think. The next thing she knew, Clayface had lashed out and seized M'gann, hurling her from the sky. In that instant, Fever felt the link between the team shatter. Her mind was empty. She cast her eyes wildly around, searching for the rest of them. Jake and Artemis were close by - Kaldur she had not seen or heard from since the beginning of the fight. They were without a leader. Without the Justice League. Without help.

"Ru-!" she started, but then a length of gooey brown mush crashed across her side, knocking her out of the air. She spun wildly, out of control, covered in mud and blinded by her own feathers. Up was down, right was left, she had no idea where she was until she struck two solid shapes. She had no time to wonder what she'd hit before her head struck pavement, and she blacked out.

Waking was almost more painful than the blow which had knocked her into blackness. Going under she hadn't had time to feel the massive bump on her head. Coming back up, the throbbing pain was enough to drive anyone back into unconsciousness. Only her mind would not seem to let her go back under...

Groaning quietly, Fever opened her eyes. Her brow furrowed slightly at the black blur a few feet in front of her. She stirred stiffly, aching all over, and blinked the tears and shadows out of her eyes. Now it made more sense... she recognized that cloak. Batman. That was why they were still alive. She gathered her arms up beneath her, pushing herself into an upright position, frowning at the heavy feeling of some limp thing on her back. Still in a daze, she twisted around, spotting the limp mass of white which was her wing. So that was what hurt so much... it didn't feel broken, but it was definitely out of place. Dislocated. That was fairly easy to fix. Though it still hurt.

Head spinning, Fever pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked back over to Batman. He had moved on now - away from the stirring form of Robin, to the limp heap of yellow and orange which was Kid Flash. Clayface had even managed to knock Wally for a loop - they definitely had not been functioning at the top of their ability.

"Is everyone alright?" Fever asked vaguely, pulling her legs around next, gathering them up underneath her and coming unsteadily to her feet. That bump on her head really made the world spin.

"Yes," Batman answered shortly. He offered nothing more. Fever had not really expected him to - he wouldn't be Batman if he were particularly talkative. She brushed futilely at her stained white suit, removing none of the dust, only smudging it. She glanced around, searching for something to do in spite of the wild spinning caused when she turned her head. She spotted M'gann lying a few feet away. She might as well make herself useful.

A few minutes later, M'gann was up and moving again, in better condition than most of them probably were. Fever was trembling with pain and exhaustion, but moving on in search of someone else to apply her healing talents to. She was on her feet. That was more than enough. Now she had to make sure the rest of her team was up, too. Aqualad was on his feet again, Artemis was stirring, Kid Flash was nursing his aching skull, Batman was seeing to Robin. Superboy and Sacrifice seemed to be all that were left. Stumbling, she made her way over to the mound of black t-shirt which was the brooding Kryptonian and laid her hands gently across his back. She chose him because he would not take too much healing - it was difficult to do a lot of permanent damage to Superboy - and she wasn't sure she had all that much energy left in her.

He was the right choice. It took only a moment of steady breathing before he sat bolt upright, startling Fever, and came without hesitation to his feet. He glanced at her, offering nothing more than a grunt of acknowledgement before turning away from her. She watched as he hurried across the room to kneel beside the fallen Sacrifice.

"Jake," Superboy said, lightly pushing the unconscious boy. "Jake," he said louder and used a bit more force. Jake's eyes fluttered open, and a groan escaped his lips.

"Owm" Jake looked up at the person who had roused him. Only to find it was Superboy. His cheeks flushed, and suddenly he was back in decent shape. He scrambled backwards and scooted himself up against the nearby wall. "Superboy! Um... Hey. Are you okay?"

"That's my line," Superboy shot back, in a friendly tone. Jake slowly got to his feet. He shook his head, and got rid of his dizziness. Fever approached him quietly, blue eyes concerned.

"You _are_ okay, aren't you?" she checked quietly. "I can..." she raised one hand, figuring he would understand what she was offering.

"Yeah, I'm _fine._ I'm actually probably one of the lucky ones. I feel fine. I just have a headache." Jake noticed her outstretched hand. "No really. Don't worry about me."

Fever hesitated for a moment, then let her hand drop back to her side, staring around at the remnants of their battleground. There really wasn't much left of the room. For the first time, Fever began to realize how lucky they were to have gotten out of all that in one piece. She drew a deep breath, running a hand through her hair once again to calm herself, and turned to Batman.

"What now?" she asked quietly. She knew everyone was thinking it - she was simply, uncharacteristically, the first person to say it out loud.

"Return to base," Batman ordered, standing alone now that the whole team was on its feet. Fever reached over her shoulder, adjusting the hanging, useless mass of her left wing into a position that was - barely - less painful. "Get some rest."

A general murmur of consent rose up amongst the group. Dejected and in more than a little pain, they gathered into a tight pack and headed for the exit.

Angel sat in the first place she had fallen, too tired to get back up again. It had been a shock to her that she made it as far as the couch, after her wing had been set and she'd had a shower. Just walking back into the common area had taken an immense amount of willpower. She had wanted so badly to simply sink away into her bed, but the team needed to be together now. That mission had been a disaster. More than a disaster. Not a single one of them had escaped unscathed. Angel would be grounded for a day or more, and she knew everyone else must be hurting more than she was. Even Superboy had a headache. Considering their past successes, she could not help but wonder what had gone wrong. Clayface should have been an easy target.

With a soft groan, she leaned back into the sofa, trying to ignore the dull, pulsing pain in the joint between wing and shoulder. This was not the first time she had wished her healing powers were effective on her own body, and she doubted it would be the last. As it stood, however, she could only heal others. That power, she was grateful for. She was useful to the team that way. It was an ability they had not had before she arrived.

Finding comfort in thoughts of her friends, Angel looked up from her pain to watch them interact. They were lucky, in some ways, not to have the fragile fifth-and-sixth limbs she possessed. When one did not _have_ wings, one could not injure them. And it was a lot easier to sit down when you did not have a massive, healing lump bandaged across your back. Of course, most of them were not sitting anyways. She did so only because she was too exhausted to pace. Everyone was nervous. It was not every day that Batman sought a conversation alone with a member of the team - at least, one who was not Robin. Today, however, he had drawn Kaldur aside, taken him into another room to discuss the miserable failure of the mission. Angel's hands shook at the thought of what Batman must think of the team now, and her fears were nothing compared to what she knew Robin must be feeling. She knew Diana would be disappointed by Angel's failure, and the failure of the rest of the team, but frankly, Wonder Woman was a hell of a lot less terrifying than Batman was. Angel would take Diana's lectures over Batman's any day. Perhaps it was the dark aura, the impenetrable calm, but it just seemed that much harder to bear when Batman was upset with them.

Batman was most definitely upset with them, and that meant Robin was angry. He had been pacing the room restlessly since they had returned. A couple of times Angel had tried speaking to him, but had been ignored, and eventually gave up. The whole room had given up, lapsing into silence as they watched Batman's partner wade in his jealousy and waiting for Kaldur to reappear and tell them what they had done wrong. Every second seemed an eternity to Angel, who found herself focusing on the pain in her wing, making it worse so she would not have to think about what had happened, and about what would happen when Diana found out. She found herself desperate for someone to speak up, shatter the tension. Make everything normal again.

"Rob, will ya quit pacing? It's like you're an actual Robin looking for food!" Wally said.

"Not funny," Artemis observed, without her usual bite. Angel's lip twitched at their bickering, taking on the representation of a smile more out of habit than any real desire to smile. It was common knowledge that the pair's bickering amused her.

"What do you think they're saying in there?" M'gann asked, sounding a little nervous. Angel had wanted to ask exactly the same question. Her pulse quickened to the rapid beat of a hummingbird's wings.

"Analyzing the strategy," Robin muttered. "Finding out where we went wrong."

"Dude. If we all did something wrong, you really think he would talk to _just_ Kaldur?" Wally said using hand motions to emphasize his point.

"But Kaldur didn't do anything wrong," Angel murmured in her usual soft, bell-tone voice. "He hardly said anything the whole time."

"That's _what_ he did wrong," Robin observed. Angel frowned slightly, shaking her head, butt that made her head ache, so she stopped.

"I don't understand," she whispered.

"He's supposed to be the leader," was the only response she received. Angel sighed quietly.

"How long do you think they're going to be?" M'gann asked, calling the team's attention away from Angel's confusion. They did not have time to speculate on just how long it would be before the door came open, and Kaldur stepped into view. Angel looked up, caught between eagerness and panic. Batman, it seemed, had already gone, and the look on Kaldur's face promised nothing good.

He crossed the room to stand before his aching, anxious comrades. Angel pushed herself to her feet, cautious of her wing, and moved to stand with the others. Though he faced them, he did not meet their eyes.

"I'm going back to Atlantis," he told them. Angel felt her heart skip.

"Leaving?" she asked quietly. He was one of the few people in the world that she had ever known, as precious to her as a brother, though they had met only a couple of weeks before. If he meant that he was leaving forever... "When will you come back?"

"You are... Coming back, right?" Jake asked almost cautiously.

"I don't know... when," Kaldur answered. Angel frowned slightly. He sounded so different... hesitant. "There are some things which need working out."

"But how long will you be gone?" M'gann demanded, her voice just a little bit shrill.

"It's just a visit," Kaldur answered. In an instant, everyone seemed to relax. He had specified no time span... but a visit meant he was coming back, right?

"Well in that case... I'm gettin' some shut eye." Wally said, getting up.

"Did you really just say shut eye?" Jake retorted without a moment's hesitation.

Angel smiled slightly and shook her head. "We'll see you later, Kaldur," she murmured, waving to him. Honestly, she wanted to turn in just as badly as the others did. But she wanted to see him off first.

"See you later," he answered in a voice which lacked feeling. Casting one swift glance across his exhausted team, he turned and walked out through the zeta beam.

Morning dawned bright and early, for Angel. The cave was still quiet when she lifted herself out of bed, pulled on a pair of jeans and a slit-back tank top, and headed out to wander the halls of what was still a relatively new home. She did not bother even to brush her hair - or rather, it did not occur to her to do so, as absorbed in her thoughts as she was. Angel had never been the sort of person who centered themselves around their appearance, at least as far as she knew, and was known to occasionally forget little things like brushing her hair and straightening her feathers.

She wandered through the darkened cave, and as had become customary, found herself drifting into the kitchen. Normally she came here in search of M'gann. Over the last couple of weeks Angel's attachment to the Martian had grown. M'gann was her source of advice and comfort. She knew everything about Angel that Angel knew about herself. M'gann was the only member of the team who knew she had no past. That secret had been too difficult to keep, once M'gann had touched her near empty mind for the first time.

Swinging her arms lightly at her sides, Angel walked without any real intent towards the counter, running her hand across its smooth surface. The tile was cold to the touch, especially against her fever-hot skin, and soothing in a way. Familiar. Why? She could not have said. It simply was.

Sucking in a slow, pained sigh, she leaned her elbows on the counter and put her face in her palms. Her free wing beat once against the air, a short and frustrated burst, and then fell limp. She did not bother to fold it. Yesterday's battle bothered her more than she liked to admit. They had failed. Failed so badly, and they had all gotten hurt so much. Kaldur's look as he left the cave had haunted her dreams last night, as had Robin's irritation, and what she imagined was Batman's disapproval. Their pain affected her far more than her own. In her short memory, she had known only a small scattering of people. They had become her friends and her family, all in the short compilation of days that made up what she knew of her life. She didn't care what happened to her. Those people made up more of her own life than she did, and in the end that made them more important to her than her own life. And last night she had _not been able to help them._ Any of them. They had gone down as a team, but they had still gone down. That was not okay with her.

Absorbed in her own thoughts, Angel did not hear the approach of soft footsteps and quiet voices. M'gann and Superboy were in the room with her before she realized that they were coming. She looked up as they rounded the corner, hastily shoving away from the counter, straightening up, turning to greet them. M'gann was more observant than that, however, and Angel could not quite wipe the distress out of her eyes. The Martian frowned slightly, pausing on her way across the kitchen.

"Angel?" she asked, tipping her head in concern. Angel forced a smile.

"Morning," she called out to both of them, hoping that if she started a conversation M'gann wouldn't bring her worries up. "Did you sleep well?"

"Um... yes," M'gann returned Angel's smile uncertainly, but seemed to decide that it was better not to push the issue.

"Good," Angel murmured, then glanced at the brooding shape behind her Martian friend. "Superboy? What about you?"

As usual, Angel received little acknowledgement, but she was determined to keep trying. She would reach him eventually... wouldn't she? She watched almost sadly as he turned and strode across the room to the couch. He always sat there, staring at the blank TV screen. He never turned it on. Angel could not understand why - she had found a great deal of enjoyment in the flickering images, the people, the stories, even if with her lack of memories, sometimes she did not understand what was happening.

"What about you?" M'gann's voice called Angel back to the real world. She looked around, surprised, pushing her golden hair out of her face almost without thinking. "Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty well," Angel lied, still smiling. It disturbed her a little bit that she could tell M'gann something so completely false and still hold onto that sweet, once-genuine smile. It made her feel dirty to do it, but she didn't want M'gann worrying about her. That wasn't fair either.

"Were you looking for something?"

Angel watched M'gann as she walked into the kitchen and started about her usual routine. Breakfast for the team. A couple of times Angel had woken up to it, but more often she was up before the others, and came to help her friend prepare the morning meal. This was the first time she had ever been up and about _before_M'gann.

"Nothing in particular," she answered, following M'gann deeper into the kitchen. "What are you making?"

"I'm not," M'gann answered. "I thought it'd be fun if we went out to eat. We need some fresh air."

Angel blinked in surprise. "That sounds great, but..." she trailed off, flapping her unbandaged wing slightly. She figured M'gann would get the idea.

It did not really surprise Angel that M'gann seemed unconcerned. A lot of the things which worried Angel never really occurred to the others. They were more accustomed to this life, and life in general, than she was.

"It'll be alright," M'gann assured her. She stepped closer to Angel, smiling brilliantly. "We can get take out!"

"Take-?" Angel trailed off as M'gann continued talking.

"It'll be great! We'll get some good food, you'll get to see the city... Superboy, you're coming too, right?"

Superboy glanced over his shoulder at them, frowning. His eyes were dark, but after one long moment he nodded his agreement.

"Great!" M'gann cried. Angel jumped sharply and turned her attention back to the Martian. "Listen, Angel, you and Superboy can go and find some a nice place for a picnic. I'll get the food and join you there, okay?"

"Sure," Angel agreed softly, not sure whether she had really been given a choice. She had a feeling she could have said no, and her response would have gone completely unnoticed. Why would she refuse, anyways? This seemed to be something M'gann really wanted to do, even if Angel did not feel like doing anything more than curling up on a couch and watching some rv. Distracting herself from the depressing reality of yesterday's mission.

Well, she supposed, a picnic could be distraction enough.

"Great!" M'gann laughed. "You go find a place for us to eat! I'll let you know when I've got the food!"

"How-?" Angel started, but stopped, realizing that was a stupid thing to ask a Martian. She asked a lot of stupid questions. She had a feeling it was starting to annoy the others, though she was fairly certain M'gann understood, the girl being the only member of the team who knew the truth...

"Hurry up and go!" M'gann insisted. Her voice contained ten times the excitement Angel could muster. "We'll see you in a little while."

Angel hesitated one instant longer, but hanging around was going to do her no good. Forcing herself not to sigh, she gave her friends a small, weak smile, and headed out through the zeta beam.

The city was bright and bustling. Even when it rained, this great mark of human civilization seemed to thrive, and today was a brilliant sun everywhere but within Angel's mind. Her thoughts had clouded with worries - thoughts of Kaldur kept her tense and unhappy. He had seemed so unsure of himself when he had bid them farewell and headed out for Atlantis, and though he had assured them that this was nothing more than a visit, she could not help but wonder if he would ever come back. She had noticed, in her short life, that things tended to change unpredictably. She had found that she did not often like it when they did.

Angel soared over the spires of the city, sun glinting off her bright white feathers, catching in her sunny hair. The wind kept the golden strands out of her eyes as she scanned the human throng below. She had no qualms about being spotted - humans very rarely looked up, and even if they did, she had no secret identity to conceal. Though she wore plain street clothes, jeans and a simple slit-backed tank-top, they would know when they saw the white wings that Fever soared the skies. She was not well known, but the people had heard of her now. No reason to hide.

Tipping her left wing into the wind, she veered away across the cityscape, eyes hunting out that secluded spot which would please M'gann. She would never find the abandoned park for which she hunted, though that did not mean the place did not exist. She simply found something else she had been looking for.

A distraction.

The scream was the first, and only, warning that Angel received. The sound came so sharp and sudden that it startled her out of flapping, and for a single instant she dropped through the air, before remembering that she was not Superman. She had to work to stay aloft. Sucking in a deep breath, she heaved her wings against the air, slowing her descent, and trained her ears for that sound. Part of her hoped it would repeat.

Part of her hoped that it was over.

The scream did not return, replaced by frightened wails from the city below. Wordless cries for help. Angel had little time to think, her heart reacting before her brain as she tucked her wings and dove for the dingy, sunless alleyways. Narrowing her azure eyes, she picked the speaker out just as she crossed the threshold between shadow and sunlight.

A girl - a human girl. Honestly, Angel had not seen many humans up close before. She spent most of her time surrounded by the team, and the Justice League, and she had trouble sometimes thinking of any of them as truly human. She knew that Wally and Robin and Artemis _were, _in the end, human, but they were so stunning, so spectacular, that she could not imagine them walking about with the blending crowds of humanity. They stood a rank above the rest. Inhuman. This girl who hung from the fire-escape, barely hanging on with the skin on the tips of her fingers, was another matter entirely. The arms which held her suspended twenty feet in the air looked like sticks next to the familiar, bulging muscles of Angel's friends. Her skin was the color of Angel's wings, untanned, unexposed. A sheltered child. A human child. Helpless.

Finally, Angel's brain seemed to catch up with her heart, responding to the girl's terrified shrieks. Help the helpless.

Angel was not the most experienced at saving people, by any stretch of the imagination. She had never really saved anyone in her life. Her closest experience with saving people had been being saved herself, and she had been unconscious at the time. She understood the theory of course, but in practice the technique appeared to be somewhat... different.

Swooping in out of her dive, she skimmed close by the fire-escape, seizing the girl around the waist just as her fingers slipped from the metal. The human gave a piercing shriek that reverberated within Angel's head somewhat painfully, and which cut off abruptly when she realized that she was not falling down, but flying sideways. She seized up then, fingers clenching into Angel's back, eyes flying wide as the winged hero swooped upwards, out of the alley. It did not occur to Angel that setting the human on street level might be better. To her, the high ground was the safe ground. She made for the rooftops.

With a light tap of her sneakers, Angel set down atop the nearest building, laying the human girl gently on the ground at her feet. She stared at Angel through huge, shocked brown eyes, looking more frightened than relieved.

"Are you alright?" Angel whispered, frowning slightly. The human made no move to answer her. She fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable with the girl staring at her. For some reason, her wings started to make her feel... awkward. "Um... you're not hurt, are you?"

The human made a small whimpering sound and shook her head. Angel took that to mean 'no'.

"Good," she sighed, straightening up again and staring out over the cityscape. She'd just made her first real rescue. It felt good... "Take care of yourself, alright?"

The girl nodded, her eyes still wide. Angel began to suspect she had put the human into shock. Maybe it was the first time she had ever seen somebody with wings... Angel could believe that. Most humans, apparently, did not see many winged people in their lives. They were a rare species. Angel wouldn't know - she had never met another winged being.

Giving herself a sharp shake, dislodging her own train of thought, Angel turned and started towards the edge of the roof. She opened her wings, catching the sunlight on her feathers, and prepared to leap.

"My name is Cassidy."

Angel stopped, frowning slightly. She turned to face the girl.

"What?" she asked, wings beating softly in mixed caution and curiosity.

"My name," the girl repeated, getting up off the ground in a scraping of shoes on pavement. "It's Cassidy."

Angel was silent for one long moment, staring at the blonde human. She seemed to have gotten over her fear rather quickly. Had it ever been fear? Angel had no sense for the emotions of others...

"Right," she murmured, nodding slowly to Cassidy and opening her wings again. "See you around, Cassidy."

She did not wait to hear the girl's response, somehow knowing that if she waited she would never leave. With a booming flap of her great wingspan, she hurled herself from the building and took off across the city.

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><p><strong>This chapter written by Yamamoto Ameko<strong>

**How did you like it? PLEASE let us know by leaving a review. There are STILL no reviews for this story. Seriously, we know you guys are reading it because of the number of hits and visitors we get. I'm not trying to be an attention whore and get a lot. But we would at least like some FEEDBACK. Maybe that'll change at a later point. But seriously. At LEAST one review would make our day. Thanks again and look forward to chapter 4! **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Helloooooooooo! New chapter time! Sorry it's been so long... We went to an Anime convention (Anime Boston 2012). IT WAS SO MUCH FU- Wait. No. Sorry, you want the story don't you? I bet you do! Okay. So this is the second of the two-in-a-row Angel chapters. Its shorter than the normal length, but Jake's chapter 5 will be very soon. Because I write fast... When I'm driven. **

**2A/N: Hey all! It's Ameko~ Yamamoto Ameko. Y'know, the one who writes Angel? Yeah, you don't hear from me much. Or ever, actually... ^.^ But I'm glad to get this chance to talk to you! Just letting you know that I'm really excited for this fic, can't wait to get further along and hit the big plots, and I really hope you're enjoying this. I know I am!**

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><p>Cassidy's name still echoed freshly in Angel's head as she touched down in a gently forested glade, deep at the center of a less populated city park. She had not had the chance to do much sight-seeing, in the short span of her life, spending most of her time holed up in the cave, or running around on missions without any time to stop and simply <em>look<em> at something. Every branch on every tree still held fascination for her, took her breath away. Of course, she had spent quite some time living on Themyscira, learning from Diana, but somehow that was just not the same. There was a wildness about Themyscira which painted a different picture from this crazy city. A different world. Here, everything was new. She got the sense that was not something most people her age could say.

Her age... how old was she anyways? She pondered this as she walked in the soft grass, folding her soft white wings in against her back, wishing that she had a cape like some of the others. At least then she could hide those wings, look like a normal hero, even if she could never quite look human. Even M'gann, with her green skin, fit in better than Angel. She could change her face. She could visit, mingle, learn about the world around her. Angel, though she bore a second name, would never be anything but Fever. She had been something before... she must have been. Her body was not a matter of months old. It was that of a mature - or rather, maturing - young woman. She had years under her belt that she could not remember. How many, she could not be sure, and probably never would be.

Drawing a quiet sigh, she ran her hand lightly through her hair, staring around at the foliage and the comfortable sunlight. She found herself wishing she had stuck around to talk to Cassidy. The human seemed interesting... at least, quite different from anyone she had ever held a conversation with before. There was something just... wrong with never having spoken to someone not toned by battle. Even Themyscira, which had seen little of battle since the island had been sealed away from the world, was a war-trained land. Cassidy had been the furthest thing from a warrior that Angel had ever met. A peaceful outlook on life... what would it be like to talk to someone like that?

The soft crunch of a foot on grass called Angel out of her thoughts. She turned, staring apprehensively around for the source of the noise, relaxing instantly when she recognized Superboy's brooding face. He may have been rather frightening, but she had determined - and was absolutely certain of her determination - that he was _not_ a danger to her. He was a friend. Or at the very least, an ally. Perhaps it would take a while for them to really become "friends". She bit her lip, approached him hesitantly. He watched her in silence.

"Um," she started, took a deep breath, and tried again. "Hey, Superboy... is... M'gann back yet?"

Superboy stared at her for one long instant - an instant which, to Angel, felt remarkably awkward - and then jerked his head over his shoulder. Angel followed his gaze, up a short hill, to where M'gann sat waiting. M'gann and... Jake?

"Jake?" Angel called up the hill. M'gann looked around, spotted the winged girl, and was running down the hill in an instant. Angel had little time to register that M'gann was coming before they collided. She staggered slightly as M'gann seized her around the shoulders and, still hugging, dragged her up the hill.

"You made it!" M'gann laughed, and Angel could only answer with a small smile before the Martian was rushing onward. "What took you so long? We were worried!"

Angel giggled, mostly because she doubted either Superboy or Jake had been particularly worried. Neither of them seemed to care for her all that much. She simply had not made her way into the group yet... but she would. She was determined of that.

"I'm sorry," she murmured as M'gann sat her down on the checkered blanket, between her and Jake. "I met someone-"

"Met who?" M'gann asked eagerly. Angel giggled nervously.

"A human girl," she answered softly. "I saved her."

M'gann laughed and clapped happily for Angel, which Angel thought was rather... odd. M'gann always seemed so happy. How did she manage it?

For some reason, Angel found she did not particularly want to talk about Cassidy. She did not understand why, but it felt... too personal. A silly thought, she knew. She still thought it. She searched out the first opportunity to change the subject - Jake.

"So," she called quietly, trying to get Jake's attention. "What have you been doing?" Jake looked over at her, seeming unimpressed.

"Everything. What else is there for a gay guy to do?" Jake responded, shrugging. He was very obviously trying not to make eye contact with her. Angel blinked in confusion.

"Um..." she hesitated, worried that they would think her question odd. She hadn't told anyone about her amnesia... only M'gann, and even then not entirely by choice. "Gay?"

"Oh, Jesus. Anyone want to help me out here?" Jake said, looking at teammates. M'gann was trying not laugh and shaking her head. Superboy looked very uncomfortable, and not in the angry kind of way. "Ugh... Fine. A gay person is someone that is attracted to the same sex. Basically, instead of liking girls like other guys do... I like dick."

"... Who is Dick?"

Jake's face slammed into his palm. Nearby, M'gann started to laugh.

"... A subject for another time." Jake looked back over at Superboy, who seemed to be deep in thought. A very confused look on his face.

Angel was still lingering over his description. Something clicked in the back of her mind, and she blinked, frowning. "So you like boys?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Jake said, not even bothering to look at her. He was still occupied with Superboy.

"Does that mean you like Superboy?" Angel asked, glancing between them. Jake froze, and his face turned red.

"W-What? Pssh. I have no idea what you're talking about. I mean yeah, he's my friend but like... What were we talking about again?" Superboy looked over at the very much flustered Jake. Jake noticed he looked even _more_ uncomfortable than he did before. M'gann was staring around looking... something caught between surprised and confused.

"We were talking about you liking Superboy," Angel answered, frowning. "You do, don't you? You stare at him."

Jake was gonna kill her. She was screwing up his life. She was dead. She was just dead.

"Uhhhhh you need to stop talking. Now. Okay? Okay." Jake said, jumping over to her and covering her mouth. Angel's eyes went wide at the sudden assault. She faltered and fell silent, staring up at Jake. What on earth had she said? She tried to ask him why, but his hand was tight over her mouth.

"Um... alright guys, let's settle down," M'gann called nervously, watching Angel with apprehension. Angel stared back at her, bewildered.

"Mmph," she mumbled through Jake's hand, but she could not form a word. She squirmed slightly. Her wings beat nervously behind her.

"Jake, let her go," M'gann asked nervously, starting to get to her feet. Jake pulled away sharply, as though Angel had burned him.

"I'm sorry!" Angel burst out immediately. "I didn't mean to say anything!"

Jake huffed and put a hand over his eyes. "It's fine..." he growled under his breath. Angel stared at him in a state of near panic. She could not afford to be chasing people away...

"So!" M'gann called, drawing everyone's attention away from Jake. Not because she was particularly loud, but because they all wanted desperately to be distracted. "Who wants some chicken?"

For one awkward moment, there was silence. Hesitantly, Angel raised one hand. "I'll take some," she whispered. M'gann gave Angel a look of relief, and scooped a chicken leg onto a paper plate.

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><p><strong>AN: Told ya it was short. But don't worry! Some Superboy/Jake in the next chapter! Also... BIG THANK YOU for those who took the time to review. We actually squealed when we found out we had some! Your reviews were really helpful and we truly appreciate it. KEEP REVIEWING! PLEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAASE! Pwease? Hope you enjoyed it, expect my two Jake chapters very soon. Like... Very soon. **

**2A/N: (Ameko again) Pweeeease~~~? 3 3 3**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: TOLD YOU that you'd be getting Jake chapter soon! And here it is! Well uh... It's longer than the last one. Have fun!**

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><p>"I'll take some," Angel whispered. M'gann gave Angel a look of relief, and scooped a chicken leg onto a paper plate. Jake also breathed a sigh of relief. He was extremely thankful for the awkward silence to have... Disappeared. Though he was thankful the world had another gay baby.<p>

"Yeah, I'll take some too." Jake said, wandering over. M'gann went to serve him,but Jake stopped her. "I can serve myself~." He was happy, but anxious. Superboy wouldn't look at him. It only took one stupid girl, to turn his entire hope for a love life upside down. It wasn't like she was trying to ruin his life, he knew that. That didn't change the fact that she _did_ in fact ruin it.

"Superboy... Aren't you going to have any?" M'gann looked over at him. Superboy was still deep in thought. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was frowning. Not that he ever smiled in the first place. "Superboy? Hello? Anybody home?"  
>Superboy finally looked up. Jake averted his eyes, and served himself some chicken. He bit into it, without actually tasting it. He was still anxious over what was going on with Superboy. Jake kept his head down and focused on his chicken as the Superboy walked over and grabbed a chicken leg.<p>

"Thanks." Superboy said in a just barely audible and gruff voice. He clearly was not recovered from what had been discussed earlier.

"So uhhh... What made you decide to make chicken for this?" Jake asked M'gann. He was trying to start some sort of conversation that was NOT about who he liked.

"Oh! Uh... I don't know. I just wanted to try something different. Y'know?" M'gann said. "Also, Angel likes it~!"

"Oh. Okay. That's uh... Cool." Jake replied. Still refusing to look in Superboy's general direction. That started off a pleasant conversation between the heroes. They chatted about their days, some gossip, and Jake told them about his school. Since no one there was currently going to school besides him. He was even conversing _somewhat_ pleasantly with Angel. Superboy had put in his two cents every now and again. He still looked confused and uncomfortable. He had ever since Angel had asked what gay meant. Time passed quickly, and soon the sun was beginning to set.

"Wow! Where did the time go? Guess we were having so much fun, we lost track." M'gann said, packing up the picnic basket. Jake got to his feet and brushed himself off. He still hadn't looked at Superboy. And he had no plan to unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Well... I guess I'll see you guys later!" Jake said, turning his back and starting to walk in the direction of his house. He heard Angel and M'gann yell their goodbyes after him. He waved back at them, and continued on his way. He slowly made his way down the hell. The rest of the path was lit up by the street lamps. He casually made his way along the path that went in the general direction of his house. The sun was still setting, which left the light coming through the trees a beautiful orange. If he had a boyfriend this would be his ideal end to a date. The whole scenario just screamed romance! That's when he heard the rapid footsteps behind him. Someone was running after him.

He couldn't tell who it was, and experience had taught him not to turn and look. Besides, his eyes had not turned red. Which meant that whoever it was, was not an immediate threat. That did _not_ mean he was going to let his guard down, on the other hand. The person was closing in. Jake calmed his nerves with a single breath. And just when the person was close enough, Jake spun around and faced them. What he did not expect, was the person to be Superboy. What are the chances, of his crush chasing after him in this romantic a spot? Jake would be lying if he didn't wish to high heaven that Superboy would kiss right now.

"Hey," was all Superboy said. That was it?

"Uh... Hey, Superboy. What's up?" Jake said, still avoiding eye contact. He wasn't exactly ready to face him after his cover was pretty much blown.

"About what Angel said earlier... Is it true?" Superboy asked, looking extremely uncomfortable. He was avoiding eye contact too, and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Which part are you talking about...?" Jake feigned innocence. Superboy wasn't buying it.

"You know what I mean. Now cut the crap." Superboy responded harshly. Jake had learned, and now never took that tone of voice personally.

"Alright alright, fine. I mean... Yeah. I guess it's true." Jake said. He turned away from Superboy and decided to watch the beautiful sunset.

"So you... Like me?" Superboy asked, his eyebrow raised in a curious way rather than sarcastic or insulted. There was a very long, and awkward pause. Jake decided to not hide it anymore. What was the worst that could happen? Famous last words if there were any.

"Yeah... I do. But... You're straight, so what can I do about it?" Jake said, shrugging. He wanted out of here, now.

"But what... What if I wasn't?" Superboy muttered, softly.

"Sorry, what'd you say? I didn't hear you." Jake said. He heard most of it. But he just wanted to make sure he didn't make up what he had heard.

"Nothing! I didn't say anything!" Superboy said, suddenly defensive and upset.

"But I thought you said-" Jake started.

"Nothing. You didn't hear anything!" Superboy shouted.

"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" Jake said in disbelief. God why did he have to crush on someone this... Bipolar?

"Just leave me alone!" Superboy shouted, and then he leapt into the air. Superboy disappeared over the trees, and was clearly headed back to the cave. Jake stood there staring in the direction he had left in. Did Superboy just accidentally come out of the closet? Why was Superboy so mad at him? He had only answered his question! God that boy was so out of control. Of course he wasn't even a year old... That might have something to do with it.

"Don't know what I did, but... I'll just go home now." Jake said, and went back on his way to his house. Walking through the city, he kept thinking about today's events. Nothing notable happened. Well. Except for the fact that he sort of nonchalantly confessed to his crush just a few minutes ago. That was kind of important, actually. Damn that Angel for causing this mess. She'd be damned if she was getting his friendship within the year.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-  
>Jake entered the cave, with the computer announcing his arrival. He was in his Sacrifice uniform. The team had a mission to do. Kaldur had apparently come back, so it was a full team mission.<br>"The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan Desert. Spectral analysis revealed elements non terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that site. What landed there. Bialya is a rogue state, ruled by Queen Bee. And not a member of The League's UN Charter. All communications are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence at all times. You'll land in Qurac, on Bialya's border. Two clicks from the hotzone. Is that clear?" Batman said. The team nodded in response. No one bothered to say a word. The mission was clear. "Good. Move out immediately. Remember, stay hidden." Batman narrowed his eyes.  
>The team headed out towards the landing bay where the Bioship was. When they got there, everyone went to their own little corner and did a check on themselves. Jake checked that both his swords were there, his cloak was dark enough for stealth, and that he could focus in a second's notice. He looked over at the rest of his team. M'gann was ready, Robin was still going through the thousands of pockets he had in his utility belt, Wally was filling up his snack compartment, Aqualad was ready, Superboy had nothing to check, Artemis was going through her quiver and checking her back-up crossbow, and Angel was... Well... Angel.<br>"Alright. Are we ready?" M'gann asked everyone. They all nodded in response. "Then all aboard!"  
>"Man, I hate deserts. They're so... Hot." Wally groaned.<br>"... And I thought Batman was the detective." Robin countered slyly.  
>"Oh haha. Very funny Mr Ninja Pants!" Wally shot back. The two fell to talking about... Whatever it was they normally talked about. Jake was silent as he boarded the Bioship. He found his seat, and took it. Crossing his legs at the knee, he let himself meditate. Which he found increasingly difficult to do, because Robin and Wally were the exact opposite of quiet when there was no reason to be. That, and Wally had also figured out how to sync his iPod to the Bioship. His music was... Very loud pop music. Jake liked pop music, but not at this volume.<br>"If I say turn it down, you're not going to are you." Jake deadpanned. Wally turned to him and made a face.  
>"Well fine! I'll turn it down Mr Buzzkill In A Cloak Pants!" Wally said, turning down the volume. By one.<br>"What is it with you and this pants, thing?" Jake countered. He raised his eyebrow.  
>"What? It's genius. Just like everything that goes on in my mind." Wally said crossing his arms.<br>"I would hardly call Mr Buzzkill In A Cloak Pants genius, Wally." Jake said, laughing a little.  
>"Hey! My mind is a genius! Isn't that right, Angel?" Angel jumped, surprised that she had been addressed. She gave Wally a startled look, and then glanced at Jake.<p>

"Um... what is a 'buzzkill'?"

"That..." Jake muttered under his breath.

"A buzzkill, M'lady... Is someone that purposefully kills the mood. You know, if everyone's excited for something and one person says something completely sad or outright denies the excitement... That person is a buzzkill. Am I making sense, princess?" Wally said. Totally flirting with Angel, and clearly giving the finger to the world subtle. Luckily, Angel had absolutely no clue.

"I think so?" she answered hesitantly, then glanced at Jake. "I don't think he's a buzzkill... I think he's fun!"

"See? Take that! Mr I Can't Think Of Accurate Descriptions Pants!" Jake said, laughing. Wally joined in.

"Oh Jesus, it's spreading." Artemis said.

"Why are they calling each other pants?" Angel sighed, thoroughly confused.

"It's because they're stupid boys. Don't mind them." Artemis replied. Glaring in the direction of Wally and Jake.

"Oh," Angel murmured, and seemed to accept the explanation.

"Guys, we're almost there." M'gann announced from piloting the ship. The team all went to the windows and looked out. It was dark, and they were in a desert. Most of them had never been to one before. In fact, make that all of them. "Landing now." M'gann landed the ship behind a large dune of sand.

"Alright. Proceed with caution everyone. Deploy!" Kaldur said. The team obeyed. Jake swung out of the ship, and landed silently on the sand. He looked around, but didn't see a thing. Well he saw sand. Lots of sand.

"Well this is a boring place." Jake said. He hoped this mission would be quick. He looked over at Superboy who was having this gigantic... Thing strapped to his back. Of course, not like he couldn't carry it. In fact it looked like he barely noticed it.

"Okay, let us cross the border." Kaldur said again. "Wally, Robin, check for scouts before we move Superboy. Jake, Artemis, you two are to be his bodyguards as we move him." Wally saluted, and Robin nodded. Wally sped off, and Robin just... Disappeared. Jake mentally cursed. Things with Supey weren't too good right now...

"So _we're_ protecting Superboy?" Artemis said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I don't need protection." Superboy fired back. Clearly angry that Artemis dared imply he needed protection.

"You can't fight with that thing on your back, and you can't just drop it. Face it, we need to watch your ass." Artemis countered with a smirk. Superboy grumbled, and went back to brooding. The team sat there and waited for Wally and Robin to return. It was a few minutes before they ended up coming back.

"Did everything go alright?" Angel asked in a hushed voice, anxious for the team though nothing had happened yet.

"You bet it did, princess~." Wally said, getting uncomfortably close to her. Angel hardly seemed to notice.

"Keep it in your pants Kid Mouth." Artemis said. "Robin, how did it go?"

"Fine. We found the perfect spot. Follow me." Robin walked in the direction of said spot he had found. The team followed behind slowly. Eyeing their surroundings anxiously. "Relax, there's no one around for miles."

Jake visibly relaxed. He wasn't sure his eyes, would be able to detect a threat even if one appeared. The team walked in silence for several minutes. Jake was giving Superboy a generous amount of space despite being his bodyguard.

"Okay. Everybody stay low. We're right next to their camp." Robin said in a very low voice. Everyone got into stealth positions. Artemis and Robin crawled up the dune, to spy on the camp.

"The Bialyans control the site." Artemis said. Robin merely nodded his head.

"Set up here." Kaldur ordered. Superboy set down the device on back, and activated it. Robin ran over to it, and started typing on the keyboard that folded out of it.

"We'll be up and running in no time." He said.

"Jackpot! This site's loaded with zeta beam radiation." Wally said proudly.

"Detecting non terrestrial trace elements from the tent." Robin reported.

"I'll check it out in camouflage mode." M'gann suggested.

"Good idea. Go." Kaldur ordered.

"Careful." Superboy warned.

"And maintain telepathic contact." Kaldur noted.

"I will, Aqualad." M'gann said back. She activated camouflage mode, and flew over the dune. She slowly entered the tent. "**I'm in**."

"**Good. But tread carefully. Camouflage in **_**not**_** invisible.**" Kaldur warned. M'gann floated over to a machine. There was... A sphere of some sort inside of it. Spinning rapidly.

"**They're testing something... But it's alive! In pain!**" M'gann announced. "**H-Hello? Can you hear me?**"

"**I can. And an open mind, is a dangerous thing." **A voice said.

"**Someone's hacked our link!" **M'gann warned.

"**Simon can't see you, Simon can't catch you, but Simon can make you all: FORGET!**"

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><p><strong>AN: CLIFF HANGER. Except you already know what happens since you've seen the show. This would probably be a good time to say, that I was watching this episode very carefully and had all the dialogue DIRECTLY as said put in here. So... It's pretty authentic. It took longer than it should have. Chapter 6 will be up later today, since I'm already a quarter of the way through it. It's LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG. Since it goes through the rest of the episode. REVIEW LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. Okay no, don't do that. But DO let us know what you think okay? Next chapter will be... Jake centered, but it will follow different characters for short periods of time. Only Angel and M'gann. Next chapter will also be pretty intense for character reasons. Get ready for it, guys! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: HEY THERE. Chapter 6 is already here! Told you I write fast! My cowriter though... She's working on like 5 other fics and RPs I'm sure. But it's fine. This chapter is LONG since it's covers the rest of Bereft. I hope you enjoy, because I've been writing this for the past like... 2 hours. XD**

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><p>Jake awoke with a start. He was lying flat on his back. He bolted upright and looked around. Oh right, he was in the desert when he... Wait. Since when was he in the desert? He stood up, and brushed the sand out of his hair. This was bad. This was really, really bad. Where the hell was he? Shit. Shit shit shit this was a problem. He started walking in the only direction that seemed logical, forward. It was light out. Very light out. So bright, he was tempted to use his hand to shield the sun. His mask was just <em>barely<em> keeping the sun out of his face. It was hot. He checked himself for water. He had none. Why had he been so stupid as to go into a desert with no water?

He was tempted to shed the cloak and his top. He decided against it, because he was at risk here. He kept walking. His head hurt like a bitch, and he was stumbling. He wasn't tired, or out of energy. He was just dizzy as all hell. He was sweating, so he wasn't dehydrated. Just what the hell happened to him? He saw a shadow fly over him. A shadow _flew_ over him. Was it someone from the Justice League? The only people who could fly were... Most of them. He looked up to see what was casting the shadow. He saw a girl. A girl with... Wings. Hawkwoman? No, it couldn't be. She wore a mask. This girl had no mask. Her hair was the color of... Fire? She seemed happy to see him. She stopped her flight, and descended in front of him.

"Jake!" she cried, touching down, running a few steps before finally slowing enough to drag herself to a halt with her beating wings. How the flying fuck did she know his name. Ha. Flying fuck. It's funny because she flies. He made a funny. But back to business.

"How do you know my name?" Jake said, not moving. He stood his ground. He could probably take this girl if she was a threat. "Do I... Know you?"

The girl hesitated for an instant, eyes going a little wide, but then they cleared and filled with understanding. She raised her hands in a placating gesture, smiling at Jake.

"We know each other," she assured Jake quietly. "I know it's confusing right now, but please, just try to trust me. We have to find the others. Then we can straighten things out."

"Others...? There are more of you? Or... Us?" Jake was thoroughly confused. But he decided to trust the girl. "Okay. Let's see if we can find them." Jake set off in the direction he was going, with the... Winged girl in tow. He was headed towards a rather large dune. Maybe he'd be able to see a clue or something. He wished he could fly. That would make life easier.

The girl picked up her pace, hurrying to catch up with him.

"Wouldn't it be faster if we just... flew?" she suggested tentatively. "I could carry you. We could see more that way."

"Yeah. It would be easier, and faster. But even if I do know you, I'd rather play it safe and just walk. The large dune isn't that far off, so I can just walk. You can fly if you feel the need, though." Jake said.

She hesitated, but shook her head. "I'm staying with you."

"As you wish." Jake said. HA Princess Bride. Okay, he needed to stop being so immature inside of his head. They reached the dune pretty quickly, despite the hot temperature slowing them down. Jake scrambled up it, as quickly as he could. When he got to the top he looked around. He didn't see anything. Just endless amounts of sand. Wait. What was that? It looked like a dot. It was... A flying dot. It was moving in their general direction. "The hell is that?"

The girl looked up, and she seemed... excited. "M'gann?" she gasped, almost bouncing. She would have bounced if her feet hadn't sunk up to their ankles in sand. Her wings, at the very least, beat hard with her increased heartbeat. They seemed to have minds of their own. She whipped around to stare at Jake, overeager. "It's M'gann! I'll go get her!"

"O-Okay? M'gann? What kind of name is that? That's not human." Jake said... Scratching the back of his head. "I seriously hope she can help."

"She can," the girl answered, opening her wings in a rush of air. "She's a telepath!" And she sprang without explanation into the air. Jake watched as Angel-lady flew over to the other... Flying thing. Yes he was calling her Angel-lady now. What's wrong with that?

Angel swerved up through the air, approaching the Martian girl rapidly. She did not care whether she was perceived as a threat or not. She wasn't one, and M'gann was a mind reader. Clearly she would see that in her thoughts?

Not to mention all the memories of her green-skinned friend which kept running through her head. M'gann felt another presence in the air. Was it one of the legendary members of the Justice League? Oh this was so exciting! She had always wanted to meet a member besides her uncle! She stopped her flying, to face the fellow flyer. Except what she saw surprised her. Whoever this girl was, she was not a threat.

"Hello! Are you by any chance, on the Justice League?" M'gann asked excitedly. Angel hesitated midflight. So M'gann had lost her memories, too...

"No," she answered, then hesitated, wondering what she should do. She had counted on _someone_ else retaining their memories... "M'gann, can you read my mind?"

"Wait. You know my name?" M'gann was suddenly very confused. "Read your mind? I.. Uh... I guess." Her eyes turned green, as she peered into Angel's mind. Angel gave her everything that she could remember - which, considering she'd been here for about six months, wasn't all that much. Perhaps just enough?

M'gann gasped. She pulled out of the girl's mind. They were on a team together? Wait... This means she could restore memories.

Angel peered anxiously at M'gann, wondering if anything had clicked.

"Hold on. I can fix this, just... Gimme a sec." M'gann said. She floated in place, and crossed her legs. She closed her eyes and began to meditate. She concentrated. Her memories came flooding back. Kaldur, Robin, Wally, Superboy, Artemis, Jake, Angel, the cave, everything. She remembered it all. "We need to find the others. Now. Superboy wasn't even around six months ago! He's dangerous."

M'gann turned to look past Angel. She saw a figure on top of the dune looking at them. She recognized that cloak anywhere. "Jake!" She said, and immediately starting flying in his direction. Jake looked up as the dot flew closer. Angel-lady was close behind her. As the dot got closer, he realized she had green skin. That _definitely _wasn't human. She must be a relative of Martian Manhunter... She landed right in front of him, and hugged him tightly.

"Uhhhh... Hi? I don't remember you!" Jake said, very uncomfortable.

"Hello, Megan! Of course you don't, you lost your memory! I'll fix that right away. But you need to trust me. Alright?" M'gann said. She lightly touched both sides of his head. "Just let me in. I promise I won't look at anything important." Jake tensed up, but relaxed as she had told him to. He closed his eyes, and suddenly a rush of memories came flooding back to him. Getting assigned the mission by Batman, coming here, the voice in his head, and everything. Then memories of the team. Kaldur, Wally, Robin, Artemis, Angel, and Superboy. SUPERBOY! Crap where was he? He's dangerous! He's probably running off of feral insticts!

"We need to move. Now." Jake said,

"How?" Angel asked quietly. "We don't know where any of the others might be."

"I know where someone iis." Jake said, pointing in the direction of fighter jets who were shooting at something on the ground. "We need to get over there. And fast. Angel, do you mind carrying me?"

"I've got it!" Angel answered immediately. She scooped him up without seeming to think about it, beating her wings against the air and lifting off with only slightly more effort than it would have taken her to raise herself. M'gann raced ahead, making a B-line for the jets. As she approached, she made a clapping motion with her hands. The jets flew into each other and exploded. They were unmanned. She landed in front of Wally and Artemis.

"Well J'onn, the costume looks... Familiar. But I'm not sure the new bod screams... Manhunter." Wally said.

"You know my uncle J'onn? Hello, Megan! Of course you do, you're Kid Flash! Wally! And you're Artemis!" She said excitedly.

"Wait wait wait... Martian Manhunter's your uncle? Is that how you know my name?" Wally asked cautiously.

"Your name's really Wally?" Artemis asked judgingly. Wally looked at her with a shocked expression before groaning softly.

"It's okay, we're teammates! Friends! I-I made you cookies!" M'gann said, trying to convince them.

"You know her?" Artemis asked Wally accusingly.

"No I-I swear, beautiful never seen her before in my life! At least... Not that I-" Wally started. M'gann interrupted him with a sigh.

"You both lost your memories, too." She looked over at tanks driving towards what seemed to be a battle going on. "Come on! I'll fill you in as we go. Robin and Superboy need our help." Artemis and M'gann started walking.

"Of course! Robin and Super... What now?" Wally said, as he followed. They didn't make it very far before Angel and Jake landed in front of them. Angel placed Jake carefully on his feet and turned to M'gann, who, as she was the only other person with any memory, Angel found herself looking to as the temporary leader.

"Should I scout ahead?" she asked.

"No. It's better if we stick together. M'gann responded. The team started moving. M'gann hoped they could find Robin before sundown. He was pretty hard to find in the dark. Well, even during the day he was hard to find.

Jake sighed as the group wandered through darkness. They were following M'gann who seemed to know exactly where she was going. Not that anyone else had any clue as to where she was going. That's when they heard fighting. They started to run to see what the trouble was. Hopefully it was Robin kicking some ass. Much to Jake's happiness it was! He decided to join the fray, as did Wally and M'gann.

"I'll hold that!" Wally said as he sped past and grabbed the weapons of several soldiers opening fire on Robin. "Thanks!" He grabbed some more, before dropping them out of reach. Jake stood back, and had his swords take out two soldiers who had their backs to him. He had the hilt of the sword hit them on the head heard enough to knock them unconscious. Robin and Wally switched to hand to hand combat, and were throwing and kicking guys left and right. Robin spun to attack to guys, but M'gann beat him to the punch while in camouflage mode. The last guy made a run for it, but a trick arrow was shot. It opened, and a rope with weights on launched out and trapped the soldier before he got away. The team looked up to see Artemis standing on a dune, smirking.

"KF! Man, it's good to see a familiar face!" Robin said, as the two greeted each other.

"Hey, Rob! Memory loss?" Wally asked, as if he didn't know the answer.

"Six months! Let's hogtie these creeps and compare notes." Robin said. The team went to work on tying up all the soldiers they had just beaten in one collective bind. They stood in a circle, as M'gann, Angel, and Jake filled them in. "So we're a team?"

"The six of us and Superboy!" M'gann said. Robin took something out of his utility belt, and showed it to M'gann.

"Then this must be his!" He said, handing it over.

"Yes! Did you see him?" She asked.

"I think we did." Artemis said, looking over at Wally. Wally was scratching his chin.

"Feral boy? Some teammate. He attacked us." He said, putting his hands on his hips.

"He didn't know who we are. I don't know who we are!" Artemis said, pointing to herself with her thumb.

"I remember Batman ordering radio silence... Our team must work for him!" Robin said.

"How do you know we don't work for my mentor?" Wally asked, touching the symbol on his chest. His entire costume changed from black and grey to it's yellow and red original. "Woah... This is so cool!" He continued to touch the symbol on his chest, and change the color back and forth. The rest of the team, minus Jake and Angel tried touching the symbols on their chests.

"We look ridiculous!" Artemis exclaimed. She looked over at Wally who was still entertained with his... Color changing. "Quit touching yourself!" He did it once more, and then stopped. "Ugh. We need our memories back." M'gann looked nervous... She could help them the same way she helped Jake but... They had a lot more to hide than he did.

"**To help Superboy...**" She said in her head. Her eyes glowed white. Jake watched as M'gann, Robin, Artemis, and Wally simultaneously stopped moving. She was restoring their memories. Good. Now that they'd be back to normal... Something had been bugging him.

"Hey. Angel. Why is it that everyone else lost their memories... But you didn't? Is there something you want to say?" Jake said, turning his attention to the girl.

Angel glanced around, staring at Jake. Every time he spoke to her, it seemed to surprise her. Well of course it did... he didn't seem to like her all that much, after all. She shrugged, after she'd managed to get over her shock.

"I guess... because I didn't have my memories to begin with?" she answered softly. Jake's eyes widened.

"You're an amnesiac?" He said, barely above a whisper. "Wow... I'm so sorry." He wasn't apologizing for his behavior, but he did feel sorry for her loss.

Angel laughed softly. "For what?" she asked calmly. "I can't remember what I've forgotten, so I'm not particularly upset about it."

"Well, with that logic..." Jake frowned. "Still, don't you ever feel... Incomplete?"

"All the time," Angel answered softly, then smiled quietly at Jake. "But I'm alright."

"If you say so..." He said. He crossed his arms over his chest and went into deep thought. But it was ruined by the other four suddenly screaming.

"Aqualad!" They all said at once. SHIT. How could they have forgotten about Kaldur?

"Where is he? What happened next?" Robin asked.

"I-I don't know! That's all I... We, remember!" M'gann said. Wally and Artemis looked at each other, and realized they were holding hands. They yanked them apart with zero hesitation.

"W-We landed twenty four hours ago... If Kaldur's been wandering the desert that long, well... That's not good for a guy with gills." Wally said.

"Now that I know to look for him..." Robin said, pulling up his holographic computer. "He's close! But he's not moving."

"Then why aren't we?" Jake said, heading in the direction Robin's GPS was pointing in. The team followed, Robin took the lead. Somehow appearing in front of Jake despite the fact that Jake had started walking first.

"There!" Robin said pointing, at a very faint looking Kaldur sprawled out on the sand. He was muttering in Atlantean, so no one of knew what he was saying. M'gann crouched down, and hoisted his torso into her arms. He didn't wake up. He continued his muttering.

"I can't restore his memories in this condition." M'gann said worriedly.

"He needs immediate rehydration. Call the bioship." Robin ordered.

"It's out of range." M'gann turned to Wally. "But you can get him there fast!"

"He's too heavy... And I'm too low on fuel. Right now... I couldn't even carry her." Wally said, gesturing to Artemis. She slapped his hand away.

"Why not just levitate him back?" Artemis suggested.

"I can't. I have to find Superboy." M'gann said, lowering Kaldur back down. "Six months ago he didn't exist! He has no memories! Just animal impulse... I'm the only one who can help him."

"Superboy's indestructible. Just ask those tanks! It's Aqualad who needs your help. Like now!" Wally said, gesturing with both hands at the half dead Kaldur. Suddenly, M'gann grabbed her head. She looked like she was in pain.

"NO! Superboy's in pain!" M'gann exclaimed. And without missing a beat, had taken off towards the camp.

"M'gann wait!" Artemis said calling after her.

"We still don't know what erased our memories! It could happen again!" Robin yelled after her. She must have heard him, but she showed no signs of it. Artemis sighed and turned to Angel.

"You can carry him, right? What about you Jake? You could lift him there." Artemis said with exasperation.

"I could. But I'm more of a fighter. Angel should carry him. She can fly, and that's faster than walking." Jake said. Angel nodded in silent agreement. "I'll be a bodyguard. Robin, you have a GPS marker on the bioship, right?"

"I do. It's not too far, but it's still a walk. Angel, if I tell you where it is... Can you get there ASAP?" Robin turned towards her.

"Definitely," Angel agreed, already moving forwards to lift Kaldur. She was stronger than she looked.

"Okay, so the rest of us will proceed by foot." Jake said. Robin nodded. Wally groaned.

"I don't wanna walk anymore..." He whined. Artemis was not having it. She elbowed his arm.

"Shut up. You get _everywhere_ on your feet. Man up a little!" She said. Wally grumbled something and then huffed.

"Angel, go." Robin said. "The bioship is exactly 300 meters at three o'clock. You got that? It should be in camouflage mode. But that's not invisible."

"I'll find it," Angel assured him, heaving Kaldur up and opening her wings in vast sucking of air. One sharp beat, and she was aloft, vanishing over the nearest dune.

"Alright, let's move." Jake said. He started walking in the direction Angel flew off in. Robin was right at his side. Artemis was only a little bit behind them. Wally dragging behind. Apparently his feet hurt. The team traveled in silence. They moved quickly, darting from dune to dune. Though there wasn't much reason to be stealthy, they still kept to the shadows.

Jake's eyes suddenly turned red. He heard the sound of a car. They were being pursued.  
>"Quick! Over there!" Robin whispered, and the team darted behind another dune.<p>

"Ugh. I'm way outta juice." Wally groaned.

"And I'm almost out of arrows!" Artemis said, showing her quiver for effect. Jake looked over at where Robin was... Supposed to be.

"I forgot how much I hate it when he does the ninja thing." Wally said turning to Artemis. Took the words right out of Jake's mouth. "Hey! You never said why your dad would want you to krrrk me." He make a slicing motion across his neck for emphass.

"I got... Confused by um... Some old movie I saw the other night? About a ninja girl who's ninja dad ordered her to kill her ninja boyfriend 'cause he was from a rival ninja clan!" Artemis bullshitted. Jake could see through that lie a million miles away.

"Sooooo I'm your ninja boyfriend, huh?" Wally teased. Artemis turned towards him, and looked him in the eye.

"Hey. Amnesia, remember? Completely forgot how _truly _annoying you are." She said.

"Oh! Like you're the goddess of congeniality!" Wally challenged.

"Yeeesh! Get a room!" Robin said. When he had returned, no one knew. "Have they been doing this the whole time?" He turned to Jake who was laughing a little.  
>"Yeah. It was pretty classic." Jake said, giggling.<p>

"Dude! Where were you?" Wally asked, ignoring the embarrassment he felt.

"Breaking radio silence." Robin said coyly. He turned back to the soldiers who were searching the area for them. Suddenly, they all stopped and headed in the same direction. They clearly thought something was over there. The disappeared over a dune, and then there was a giant explosion of smoke.

"That's our cue!" Robin said. The team sprang into action, sprinted past the cloud to escape. They ran, until they saw a familiar transparent shape on the horizon.

"There!" Jake shouted. He had never been so happy to see that ship in his life. Angel should already be inside. The team ran up to it, and it opened as they approached. They ran inside, and Jake had never been happier to feel solid ground. "Angel? Are you in here?"

"I'm here!" Angel answered, peering around the corner with visible relief. "You made it!"

The team followed her, and saw Kaldur on a stretcher-looking thing. There was a wet cloth on his forehead.

"Hope you didn't run into too much trouble getting here." Wally said, flopping down into a chair unceremoniously. "Did you, princess?"

"We sure did." Jake scoffed. " I could have taken them. But the way we did it, was better for everyone as a whole."

"I want to take a nap! Scratch that, I want to sleep for twenty four hours." Artemis said, stretching her arms above her head. Angel laughed and shook her head.

"I didn't have any trouble," she murmured. "Humans don't usually look up."

"True that." Jake said. He for one, never used to look up. Until he joined the team. "So how is he?" He nodded to Kaldur.

"Better," Angel answered, also turning to gaze at the Atlantian. "I think we found him in time."

"Good. Now we just need M'gann and Superboy." Robin said. "All we have to do now is... Wait."

"Ugggggggggh... This is gonna take forever!" Wally whined. This time Jake elbowed him.

"I know you're a speedster and everything seems slow to you, but since _when_ did you become a whiner? Nobody likes Mr Whiney Pants."

"What is it with you guys and pants." Robin said, genuinely curious.

"What is it with you and whelmed?" Jake countered.

"Touche." Robin said, smirking.

"I hope they're alright," Angel mumbled.

"Ms Buzzkill pants." Jake said.

"Hey! Angel, is _not_ a buzzkill. _You're_ a buzzkill!" Wally said, pointing at Jake.

"Who me? Couldn't be!" Jake said.

Angel held her hands up, eyes a little wide. "G-guys, don't we have more important things to be worrying about?"

"Relax, Angel. We can't help them as it is. None of us are telepaths. It has to be M'gann to help Superboy. And once his memories are back, they've got nothing to worry about." Robin explained. "I understand that you're worried, but try to stay whelmed. Okay?"

"There he goes with the whelmed again." Artemis said from her seat. When she had sat down, no one was quite sure.

"What does whelmed actually _mean_?" Angel asked, looking at Robin curiously, hoping for a distraction.

"**Hey everybody! I've got Superboy! He's back to normal and we're on our way!**" M'gann announced. Kaldur shot up.

"Who are you? And how did you get inside my head?" Kaldur said. Artemis shot out of her chair, and soothed Kaldur back onto the stretcher thing.

"**Hello Megan! Aqualad's memories! I knew I forgot something!**" She said again.

"**Aww man me too! I didn't get a souvenir from the mission!**" Wally said, making an angry gesture.

"**Don't worry. Got the souvenir thing covered.**" M'gann said cheerfully. She returned with Superboy shortly after she said she had a souvenir. Superboy was shirtless, much to Jake's enjoyment. But they also had... A sphere. Angel frowned, staring at the metal... thing.

"What... what is that?"

"My thoughts exactly. Pardon my french, but... What the fuck." Jake said, gesturing to the sphere that was... Making weird noises and flashing purple lights on the front of it.

"No, Jake you're definitely alone in that department." Wally said. His eyebrow was raised impossibly high.

"This is Sphere. I wanted to keep him." Superboy said. Petting the sphere. Jake would be lying if he didn't think that was absolutely adorable.

"Oh," Angel mumbled, which seemed a remarkable understatement. "Um... hello there, Sphere."

"Welcome to the team little buddy. Girl. Thing." Said Robin. Not entirely sure which pronoun to use. He walked over and started to pat it as well. Jake was _not_ going to pet that thing. At least... Not yet. But as for the future? He would make no such promises.

"Wait. M'gann you still have to restore Aqualad's memories." Artemis said.

"Right!" M'gann flew over to Kaldur, and lightly placed her hands on his head. "Just trust me. You'll remember soon, okay?" Her eyes started glowing and soon they were both dead to the world.

"Jesus this was one hell of a mission. Getting amnesia, recovering from it, and then running and dodging soldiers. Speaking of which..." Jake said. Suddenly he was serious. "Angel... I think this a good time to tell everyone what you told me earlier. Because technically you saved us."

"I didn't save you," Angel objected immediately, then hesitated. "Well... I guess I did but.." she trailed off with a sigh.

"Wait wait wait... You have something to tell us?" Wally asked. Angel huffed and rustled her wings self-consciously.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell them." M'gann said, having finished restoring Kaldur's memories already. Angel glanced subtly from one teammate to the next.

"I don't think they think it's okay..."

"C'mon, secret secrets are no fun~." M'gann said cheerfully. Artemis visibly flinched. It went ignored by mostly everyone except Wally.

Angel shifted nervously, then sighed and shrugged.

"I don't think I have a choice," she whispered. "I'm surprised Robin hasn't guessed already..."

"I think I have, actually... But just in case I'm wrong... You should tell us." Robin said. Awfully wise for a thirteen year old. Angel grimaced, and decided it would be best to rush headlong into the whole thing.

"I...'m an amnesiac." The room fell silent. Jake didn't react since he already knew. M'gann looked proud of Angel. The rest of the team looked sympathetic and guilty.

"I'm... So sorry, Angel." Artemis said. She crossed the room and hugged Angel tightly. Wally followed suit. Much to Artemis's displeasure. "No one invited you to this hug."

"Group hugs are better." Wally said.

"Anyways! Thanks for telling us, Angel." Artemis said.

"Yeah. Means a lot." Wally said. With that said, he scooted away from Artemis. "She has cooties."

"Oh grow up." She said, putting her hands on her hips. Angel giggled.

"We should return to the cave. And report the status of the mission. Ultimately it was a success. If not with a few speedbumps." Kaldur said, still lying on the stretcher thing.

"Okay. Everybody strap in! Time to head back." M'gann said, taking the pilot seat. They took off, and headed back to Happy Harbor. Though it would take a few hours to actually get there. Most of them fell asleep on the way. Jake couldn't sleep. His thoughts had finally drifted back to the other day when Superboy and him had that weird... Conversation. He couldn't keep it off his mind. Superboy meanwhile, wasn't sleeping either. Jake looked over at him, only to make eye contact with him. He immediately looked away. How long had Superboy been looking at him? Stay cool. Alright, maybe it was just a coincidence. Jake looked back over, and made eye contact again.

Okay... So Superboy _was_ looking at him. What did he want? Maybe he'd find out. Jake slowly rose out of his chair, the organic seatbelts retracting off of him as he did so. He hated that feeling. He wandered over to Superboy's chair. Superboy's eyes followed him every step of the way. He stood over the Superboy's chair, blushing, but with an eyebrow raised.

"Is there a reason you're staring at me?" He said quietly, as to not wake his teammates. Superboy merely stood up, and nodded his head in the direction of back of the ship. Jake headed in that direction, and Superboy was right behind him. They reached the very back of the ship. Not that it was very large, but at least it was private enough for a conversation.

"I need to talk to you." Superboy said. Scratching the back of his neck. He had that adorable, uncomfortable and awkward look again.

"Okay. What about?" Jake said. He figured he knew what it was about. But he was willing to hear his crush out.

"I... I'm confused. Because... You know how you're... You know." Superboy said awkwardly.

"Gay?" Jake finished.

"Yeah. I... Have a question about that." Superboy looked at the ground.

"Sure. Anything." Jake said. There was a long pause. Superboy looked like he was getting frustrated with himself for taking so long. The boy had zero patience. Even with himself.

"I... I think... I like boys. Like you do." Superboy said finally.

"So... You think you're gay?" Jake said, a little confused as to where the boy was going with this.

"No! I mean... I like girls too." Superboy said. Looking very unsure of himself. Something clicked in Jake's head.

"Oh! So you're bi." Jake said.

"Bi? What the hell is that?" Superboy seemed insulted almost.

"Bisexual. It means you're attracted to both sexes. Girls and boys." Jake said. He was tempted to bring in the kinsey scale, but that might be too much for Superboy.

"So... That's okay?" Superboy asked. Jake nodded and smiled.

"Yeah! It's totally fine." Jake said. Superboy looked relieved. Like he just got a lot off his chest. The next move Jake did not expect. Superboy reached forward and pulled him into a hug.

"Uhhh Supey? What're you doing?" Jake said as he tried desperately not to snuggle into that warm chest.

"Saying thanks. If you don't want me to, fine." Superboy said beginning to let go.

"No no no! It's fine. Just fine." Jake said quickly hugging him back. Superboy _still_ was not wearing a shirt. And he smelled **good.** If Superboy hadn't pulled away a few seconds later, Jake could have stayed in those arms forever.

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><p><strong>AN: NOW KISS! Amirite? Yeeeeaaaaah... That last part got away from me. Literally Jake started writing himself and so did Superboy. I /tried/ to keep Superboy in character, so I apologize if he seems out of character. I really really tried to make him seem normal-ish. Anyways. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. And just for good measure... REVIEW. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hellooooo! Long time no see! Oh wait. I lied. Did you enjoy the last chapter? I hope so! This chapter is Angel focused, and introduces ANOTHER new character. Who quite frankly creeps me out. It's written by YamamotoAmeko. Honestly, I really love her writing style. Since we're both on spring break right now we have a LOT of time to work on this, so you can expect several chapter updates. I hope. XD Anyways, ENJOY! **

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><p>Angel moaned softly as she woke, stirring beneath the covers and stretching her wings before she had even become fully aware. They rustled quietly, one of them bumping up against the wall beside her bed. She was too tired to try to get up and make the stretch easier. She just moved her wing to a more vertical position and stretched it that way. The mission last night had been hard, even if they hadn't come up against anyone. No matter how simple the scouting, it still required her to fly. Sure, she was built for it. That didn't mean she didn't get tired.<p>

Groaning again in protest to the constant rise of her thoughts, Angel stirred, folding her wings again and rolling onto her side. She nearly toppled out of her bed, but managed to catch herself on the cold metal of the frame. She lay still for a moment, blinking her day-blue eyes dazedly, watching the far wall from between strands of fiery hair. What day was it...? Was there something she was supposed to do today?

She had no idea. She seemed to be pretty good at forgetting things.

Finally working up the reserve energy to pick herself up the rest of the way, Angel slipped from her bed and set her foot to the cold floor. Why was everything always so cold around here? Probably because her body ran at constant fever-temp, at least for a human... yes, that was probably it. Not that it mattered. She raised a hand and ran it through her hair, sucking in one long breath to try to clear her head. What had she been dreaming about? Some confused impression of a city in the clouds... or something. The sort of place she imagined she had once lived. It made sense, right? She had wings...

Giving herself a sharp shake, she stumbled to her feet and headed out through her bedroom door, tugging absentmindedly at her shirt and straightening her sweatpants. Vaguely, through the sleepiness, she wondered if anyone else was up. The hallways were dark and empty, but that was nothing new. Anyone who was awake would have wandered off to the kitchen or the lounge, or something like that. Who wanted to spend their time hanging around in a hallway?

A quick scout around the base confirmed that she was alone. Small wonder - she had risen before she usually did, and the few teammates who lived here were likely still asleep. Exactly what time it _was_, Angel could not have said. She had neglected to look at the clock. In the back of her head, however, she wondered... was it too early to go exploring?

She mulled the idea over as she dug around in the fridge, pulled out some sandwich meat and slapped it onto a plate. She ate without turning on the lights. No need to see her food before she devoured it... it was meat, after all. Who cared what it looked like, so long as it was meat? She crammed the thin-sliced turkey into her mouth and plotted what she was going to get done today. It occurred to her that she should visit Cassidy... why would she do that, though? The girl wouldn't have any desire to see her again. Angel wasn't normal...

With a soft shrug, Angel set her plate in the sink and gave her wings a sharp shake to straighten her feathers. It didn't matter, really, what she was going to do. So long as she didn't just sit around the base all day, waiting for her friends to wake and arrive here. She contemplated changing, but there really was no point. She was not on a mission, and she had no second identity to conceal. Angel was Fever no matter what she wore. Might as well dress comfortably. Still wearing her sweats and t-shirt, Angel headed out through the zeta beam.

Beyond the cave, the city had woken long before Angel had. Life was in full swing, cars zipping by in streams, nearly a mile beneath her glorious wings. She flew with a light heart and a cluttered mind - even the ecstasy of the height could not chase her preoccupation away. Telling the others the truth... it had changed something. Suddenly, she _was_ bothered by her absent memories... What was she missing? Surely, there had been something before Superman saved her. She had the body of a teenager... _something_ had to have come before. How could she find it? Could she do it alone...?

She touched down in the streaming winds, on the spire of a skyscraper, taking hold of the satellite antennae at its top to balance herself. The air-currents caught hold of her wings, like giant sails, and struggled to pull her from her perch. She had too much experience to be pulled away like that, though none of this experience was something she could actually remember. She stood surely, half-crouched to maintain her balance, scanning the city. She did not know for what, exactly. Just something to free her mind from its troubles. A distraction.

What could a girl with wings do for distraction? She couldn't think of anything.

"Why hello there, little hero."

Angel nearly leapt out of her skin. She had to scramble to regain her grip on the spire, wings beating wildly to hold her up out of the air. Her fear of falling was irrational, given her species, but the thought of the ground shooting up towards her still made her heart race so fast she nearly forgot _why_ she had fallen. Nearly.

She spun around, heaving on the spire to support her weight through the turn. Vulnerable. She was vulnerable up here. She should have known. Diana had taught her better. She pulled herself around, ready to fight, and was met with quiet laughter.

"Relax," he advised, leaning easily towards her, a mocking grin on his face. "I don't eat bird."

For one timeless moment, Angel could only stare at him, stunned by his sudden appearance, and by the broadness of his grin. No one smiled like that. No one could possibly... it sent shudders through her spine. And yet, it fascinated her... the look he gave her said very clearly that he _did_ eat bird. That he loved it.

"Who are you?" she demanded in a voice that shook, betrayed her fear and inexperience. It made the hungry smile widen. He straightened up and approached her, taller than she was by at least a foot, lean and strong. He dressed in gray which blended cleanly with the roof of the building, nothing but his pale face standing out against the backdrop of dark hair and dark clothing. His eyes... she could not see his eyes, veiled behind a strip of black cloth. Thin enough to give him visibility, thick enough to obscure any sign of humanity. Balanced.

"Who am I?" he repeated in a tone which somehow reminded her of Wally. Just... a little more threatening. "Does it matter?"

Angel swallowed tightly. "It matters," she answered, but her voice was swept off by the wind. He laughed at her.

"You stand out, you know?" he told her. "Anyone could take you down."

He was walking closer, and Angel found she could not really back away. There was something about him which held her pinned, hovering balanced between stability and a rapid descent to the pavements below. Somehow, she got the feeling that it was his will, not her own, which kept her attached to this rooftop. He was standing barely a foot apart from her before she found the strength to back away. By then it did her little good. He tipped his head, listening to something. What he could hear through the roar of the wind, Angel could not imagine... but whatever it was made the smile soften.

"Your heart is racing," he whispered, leaning forwards to close the space between them. Her breath caught in her throat, certain he would murder her right there on the spot. His eyes... where were his eyes? He reached out, set one hand against her cheek. Angel reeled, and yet in the same instant, she froze. "Don't be frightened, little hero."

Angel could have thrown herself off the building. She could have been gone, escaped him. She should have. This man terrified her, made her squirm with discomfort, like his very look violated her person, and yet she could not move her feet from their places on the shingles. Their faces were too close now. She could feel his breath, cold on her face, see it stirring in her tawny hair. Heat started somewhere inside of her...

And then he pulled away, leaving her swaying on the spot, shuddering and warm and full of tingles she could not understand. He turned away from her, paced back across the rooftop without holding on. Every step was balanced. Angel knew, somehow, that if the pair of them were to plummet to the city streets, he was more likely to survive. He walked to the other side of the roof and spun to face her once more, as though dancing... and yet he was only walking.

"What brings you to my piece of hell, little hero?" he asked her. Angel felt chained.

"I didn't mean to intru-"

"Not at all!" he laughed, practically skipping across the rooftop to stand near her once more. "Consider yourself my guest! It is so rare that we find company in these lofty places!"

"Y-yes," Angel whispered, but she had begun to think the man was not even listening.

"You have such beautiful wings, do you know that?" he chuckled, reaching out to run one thin finger across the ridge of her wing. The whole thing shuddered at the charge of his touch. "You should come here more often, little hero."

Release. Angel felt it in the depths of her chest. Her wings sprang open and she released the spire, prepared to leap, but he had already seized her wrist. He held her back, supporting both their weight with only the aid of the satellite antenna. Angel choked back a scream.

"But don't leave yet!" he laughed, and his grin grew somehow even broader, as though it might split his face in two. "We've so much to talk about!"

"I have to-" Angel gasped, but she couldn't get a word in.

"Please?"

The tone changed. Like a switch had been flipped, the smile vanished, his face grew still and cold. Above the cloth, his brow furrowed. The hand on her wrist tensed, shaking. Was that... fear in his words?

"Please don't go. Don't leave me alone here again."

"Alone?" Angel whispered. She had not meant to speak... the words simply slipped from her lips, unbidden. He nodded, the streaming strands of his purple-black bangs flopping in front of his face.

"I can't get down," he whispered. There was definitely fear there. His voice shook, like a child's in the dark. "They left me up here all alone without a way to get down."

Torn. Sympathy, and fear, warred in Angel's heart. He looked so lost... but somewhere in the back of his mind she felt sure he was reeling her in. Irresistible.

"Will you help me, little hero?"

Four words, buried in her head. _How can I not?_

"Of course," she whispered, aware of his hand, still clasped in a death-grip upon her wrist. "Just hold onto me, alright?"

He did as he was told, stepped forwards over the rickety slate and wrapped his arms firmly around her neck. He buried his face in her shoulder, and the scent of pine-trees and lilac struck her like a physical blow. Soft, dark hair caressed her cheek. There was something so pathetically childish about him... how could she fear this creature? Pulling in a tight breath, she opened her wings and leapt.

For one heart-stopping moment they plummeted through the air, and then her wings caught the air and they went shooting up once more, back over the towering skyscrapers. The boy didn't move his face from her shoulder until they touched down on a secluded street-corner. She set him gently on his feet, and he pulled quickly away, staring around him in absolute wonder. Somehow, Angel got the feeling it had been a very long time since he'd stood at ground level. He spun around, watching everything. At least, she assumed he was watching everything... She stood awkwardly, watching him spin, a figure of gray against a city backdrop. He blended just a little too well, and for one moment Angel thought she lost sight of him.

He was standing right in front of her.

Angel yelped and took a step back, into the road. He was grinning again.

"Thanks for the ride," he laughed, then stuck his hand out to her. The fingers seemed long. "My name's Gavin."

Angel hesitated for the space of a single heartbeat, then reached out and took his cold hand in hers. He didn't shake it, neither did she. After a moment's stillness, he released her. She stared at him, utterly bewildered by the odd man. Even _she_ understood how a handshake worked.

"And your name?" he prompted.

"F-Fever," she answered, once again without meaning to. He simply enticed her to speak. A slow smirk curled across his face.

"Your real name, little hero," he whispered. Angel stared at him.

"What do you-?"

"Don't play dumb," he cut her off. "I know you're smarter than they think you are, Angel." She could not think of anything to say. She just stood there, staring at him. Frightened of him again. Where had the child gone...? "You're smarter than _you_ think you are, too. But you don't know that. You don't remember."

Angel felt her blood turn to ice. He knew. How did he know? What was happening, here?

"Would you like help regaining your memories, little hero?"

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><p><strong>AN: DUN. DUN. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! Cliffhangeeeeerrrrrrr! **

**OKAY! So I have a question for you guys. When you review this chapter (which I know you will because you love us) tell us who your favorite OC is. We have four now. Angel, Isara, Jake, and Gavin. Tell us which one you like and why. And don't just be like: "Because they're cool" We wanna here your thoughts. We ALSO would like to hear ONE LINE/SITUATION you want your favorite OC to be in. The person who comes up with the best situation/line for said character will have theirs put into the story. And it won't be just a little nod, we'll make it happen to the best of our abilities! **

**Too much? Well you don't _have_ to, it would just be a lot of fun if you did! Well, until next time! **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: HEY THERE. Told ya we'd be updating frequently. Which... I can't say for my other fic... Ehehe... Oops. ANYWAYS. Here's a nice Jake chapter for you. I seriously... Squeed a couple of times writing it. It was bad. Okay. SuperJake moments here! Have fun and ENJOY!**

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><p>Jake sipped his orange juice slowly as if it were the most precious thing in the world. He leaned against the kitchen counter in his sweatpants and t-shirt. A black t-shirt with a red S-shield on it. He loved this shirt. And it was obvious why. He sipped his orange juice again. He closed his eyes and truly enjoyed the taste.<p>

"From the way you're sipping that OJ you'd think it was a drug," Isara said, from her perch on the back of a chair. Jake lightly put his mug down and gave her a defensive look. When had she gotten there?

"What? I love orange juice. Is that a crime?" He asked, refusing to be fall for her traps. "And would you stop with the ninja thing? You're worse than Robin."

"So I see you're wearing your Superboy shirt today~," Isara teased, winking at him. "_**Oh my~. **_Is little Jakey in love?"

"Will you quit it? Just because I wore a shirt that he wears... Well... All the time. Does not mean I like him," Jake remained defiant. He would not give into her teasing. "But seriously, how did you get in here without me seeing you." She merely winked at him.

"I may or may not know a few members of the League~," She said flipping her red hair mischievously.

"Wait wait wait. You wanna say that again?" Jake asked, picking up his mug or orange juice. "Have they saved you or something?" His sister laughed at him.

"Oh that's right! You don't know my job, do you?" Isara said, looking as if she's had an epiphany. Though she was still grinning. "I work for the Justice League! Who do you think makes all those fancy gadgets, armor, and stuff?" Jake nearly spat his drink all over her.

"WHAT!" Jake was entirely shocked. Isara looked amused. "Why did you tell me?"

"You never asked~," She shrugged. "I thought you would have figured it out based on how easily I made your costume."

"Then shouldn't you be in a more... Secretive location? Or something? You're right in plain sight, here!" Jake said, putting his cup down so he could flail his arms.

"Why? There's a zeta-beam to the Watchtower and the Batcave in the basement." She said nonchalantly. "It's connected to the cave, too y'know." Jake gapped.

"So wait... If you can get to the Batcave... Does that mean you know his secret ID?" Jake was suddenly very interested in this. "And Superman's? And The Flash?"

"I know who everyone is. They know me," She said simply, shrugging and then giggling. "Speaking of which, he should be here to pick up his stuff soon..."

"Who? Wait. Let me see! Can I? Pleeeeaaaaase?" Jake begged. He suddenly had ten times more respect for his sister.

"Sure, he knows you're my brother so he shouldn't care. But be warned, you can never speak of this outside of the house. Okay?" Isara said, suddenly serious. She hopped off of her chair, and left the kitchen. Jake quickly followed her. She rounded the corner of the hallway, and opened the door to the basement. "Seriously though. Not even your teammates can know about this." Jake nodded.

She went down the stairs as if she were a business woman. Of course, she was only wearing a tank top and short-shorts. Not looking professional at all, despite what she did. She stepped off the last step, and went over to the extremely dusty bookshelf. Jake hoped it wasn't a secret passage. He was wrong. Isara gently ran her fingers down the bookshelf, covering them in dust.

"Hm. Dusty~," She said, wiping it off on her shorts.

"Uhhhh no shit sherlock," Jake said sarcastically. Isara grabbed a blue book, and pulled on it.

"Why thank you, Watson~," She said grinning. The bookshelf jerked, and then very quietly and smoothly slid out of place. It moved just enough for one person to get through at a time. She entered first, then Jake followed. Going through the passage, suddenly everything was different. The bookshelf door closed behind him, and he was in a different world. The walls and the floors were grey. Everything was lit, but by what he couldn't tell. He gazed around the room. There were several tables with countless gadgets, armor pieces, and even masks. He continued his gaze. That's when he saw several glass cases. With suits for Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Robin, Kid Flash, and The Hawks. DAMN his sister had connections. So that's why they were so well off. Seriously, major respect for his sister. But did this mean she never left the house?

"So who're we waiting for?" Jake asked, staring at the very obvious scaled down zeta beam portals in the corner.

"You'll see," She said. Though she was more serious, her smirk never left.

"Tease," Jake said as he crosses his arms. He was answered rather quickly as the zeta announced the arrival of two very familiar names.

"**Recognized, Batman 02. Robin B-01.**" The zeta announced. Jake's eyes widened as two people stepped through the beam. But that wasn't Batman. That was a man Jake had seen on the news! That was Bruce Wayne! His jaw hit the floor, as Bruce materialized into the room. Who followed him was a boy who looked familiar. It did say Robin, so this must be who he really is! Jake was suddenly very excited. But that's when he realized that he shouldn't be so openly shocked. He closed his jaw and straightened himself out.

"Heya, Bruce! How goes it?" Isara addressed him as if he were her friend. He gave her a close lipped smile.

"Well, Isara. What do you have for us?" Bruce got right to the point. His voice wasn't terrifying by any means. He seemed friendly enough. Meanwhile, Robin was over at a table, looking over things that must have been for him. Jake would have said something, but he somehow got the impression Bruce didn't actually care that he was there.

"Right to the point huh? Bruce you are no fun." Isara said, as he strolled nonchalantly over to the table with his stuff on it. What happened to her business mode? Where did that go? "So. We have a new and improved Batarang!" She picked it up and handed it to him. Bruce tested it out. He threw it across the room and it half of it embedded itself into the wall. Ouch.

"Nice," Robin said from his table. "Isara you totally outdid yourself with this! Oh man, these are awesome!" He was packing stuff into his utility belt. He really didn't leave home without it, did he? Hey wait, how come Robin hadn't seen him yet? Or did he just not care either?

"Glad you enjoy it. I took the liberty of upgrading your gauntlets too. They've got more USB ports, and holographic screen is more responsive." Isara said, strolling over to him. She put her hand on his head and ruffled his hair. "Always thinkin' about ya little man!" Jake was amazed. She was so close with these heroes! Jake looked back over at Batma-Bruce, who had a satisfied look on his face. Everything on his table was gone. When the hell had he done that? And where did he put it?

"So I guess you know our secret now," Bruce said, now looking directly at him. The look was serious, but not unkind. "Good to know it's in good hands." Jake could only nod in response. He knew that Batman's biggest secret! That was actually kind of terrifying in a way.

"Might as well introduce myself," Robin said, as he walked over to Jake. He stretched out his hand. "Hey. I'm Richard Grayson. But I hate that, so call me Dick." Jake smiled and took his hand.

"I'd... Introduce myself, but everyone already knows me. So that would be awkward," Jake said. He turned over to Bruce. "And uh... Nice to meet you Bruce Wayne. In person. that is." Bruce nodded at him and gave him a friendly close-lipped smile.

"Well Dick, we need to go." Bruce said, already walking towards the zeta. Dick followed closely behind him.

"See ya around, Jake!" Dick said as they both disappeared through the zeta beam. Jake exhaled heavily.

"And you do this everyday?" Jake asked. Isara looked at him as if he had something shocking on his face.

"Uhhh yeah? It's like this all the time! I've met the entire league! They're really nice," she answered gleefully.

"Well... How did it happen? Come on you gotta tell me!" Jake said, feeling like a little kid. "I have to knooooow."

"Alright, I'll tell you over orange juice," Isara said, making her way over the the door. Jake enthusiastically followed behind her. Seriously, so much more respect for his sister right now.

-**YOUNG JUSTICE**-

"Ughhh... I am so boooooooooooored!" Wally whined, resting his chin on the kitchen counter.

"Then do something instead of sitting on your ass and whining," Artemis said, in a lazy voice who was doing the exact same thing as he was.

"Pot, kettle. Have you met?" Jake said also lazily. He was actually doing the exact same thing they were. The three of them were resting their chins on the counter top, in a row, while their bodies were an awkward mix between squatting and kneeling on the floor. They probably looked hilarious. Not that he cared at the moment. There wasn't much to do around the base. It just the three of them. Superboy and M'gann were at school. Well technically his name was Conner, now. Jake was not pleased that M'gann got to name him. Jake loved that name. But he would have liked to have been the one to give to him. The three of them sighed at the same time.

"We need to find something to do," Artemis said. "I **will** go insane if I don't."

"I hear ya." Jake agreed. "But what is there to do? You'd think if they were gonna stuff a bunch of teens in a place like this, they'd at least prep it with some like... Games or something. Maybe a rec room?"

"Ehhh don't your hopes up. Bats isn't exactly the kind of guy who puts 'rec rooms' on his lists of things to put on bases," Wally said.

"I wish M'gann was here... At least she could make us cookies or something" "Jake sighed.

"I bet you wish Conner was here," Artemis said bluntly. Jake flushed.

"Pssh. What gave you that idea?" Jake feigned innocence.

"Dude give it up. Everybody already knows you like him," Wally said.

"What? You guys are crazy," Jake tried. He wasn't giving up that easily.

"Someone's in denial~," Artemis sang.

"Jake and Conner sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Wally joined in.

"First come love~," Artemis continued.

"Then comes marriage~," Wally started.

"Then comes Jake pushin' a baby carriage!" They both finished at exactly the same time. The they both fell over laughing. Jake was not amused. Though they did give him pleasant imagery. But that wasn't the point right now. The point, was that everyone in his life totally knew about his crush on Conner! The Superboy! Even The Superboy himself knew.

"You guys really shouldn't be criticizing me, when you're both secretly in love with each other," Jake muttered. That stopped them both in their tracks. They both looked at each other, blushed, and then scrambled away.

"I am _not_ in love with him!" Artemis said.

"I am _not_ in love with her!" Wally said. They both said it at the exact same time. They looked at one another again, before blushing and looking away.

"Winning~!" Jake mused. He still hadn't moved his head off the counter. He had no intention to move. It was a lazy day, they were all in civvies, there was no point really. "Anybody know what time it is?"

"Ehhh it's around three-thirty pm, why?" Wally said, looking at the clock.

"Should they be out of school by now? Like... _Way_ out of school? Thought they got done at three," Jake thought out loud.

"Awww is somebody jealous?" Artemis teased. She got up off the floor, dusted herself off, and was now leaning her elbow on the counter. "If you're that paranoid or just go check on them."

"Maybe I will," Jake sassed. He slowly rose to his feet from his awkward half-squat half-kneel position and left the kitchen. Leaving a smirking Artemis and a confused Wally behind. He walked to the briefing area of the base. Where they got all of their missions, etcetera. They never really found a name for it for his knowledge. He called it the briefing area. Why was he analyzing this so much? It was just a room! He chose the weirdest things to think about, sometimes jesus.  
>Jake rounded the corner of a hallway, he was lost in his thoughts. Of course, he wasn't actually thinking of anything important. He should have been thinking about how important his sister was to the Justice League, or how Superboy and M'gann could be a couple without him knowing it, or where Angel had mysteriously gone to. Well, he didn't really like Angel. He had a reason to now, but why didn't he like her before? He didn't know. But now he didn't like her because she totally gave away his crush! Speaking of his crush, he was pretty sure he faintly heard the zeta beam announcing his arrival.<br>He kept walking towards the briefing room, at pace slightly slower than his normal walk. His normal walk being actually quite fast. He didn't know why he always walked fast, but he did. It's not like he had any reason to. OKAY SERIOUSLY, he needed to stop thinking about useless stuff. His face came into contact with something warm and firm.

"Oof," He said backing up. He looked up to see that he had run into Superboy. He flushed again."Oh! Heeeey Conner! What's up? Have fun at school?"

"Pssh. No. Some Jackass tried to challenge me. And they were all wearing League shirts!" Conner said exasperatedly. He even raised an arm for emphasis. For some reason Jake found that adorable.

"Who challenged you?" Jake was genuinely curious. Conner wasn't exactly the... Easiest of targets to pick on. "And the shirts thing... It's pretty much the same at my school. I bet they'd be shocked to know who we really are." That thought gave Jake more pleasure than it should have. He enjoyed fame a little too much.

"I don't remember what his name, was. And I don't care either," Conner said. Somebody's clearly grumpy. Jake couldn't stop his body in time. He slowly reached up and cupped the side of Conner's face. What. The. Hell. What he was doing!

"H-Hey. It'll be fine. Switching to a new school is hard, after all," Jake said, trying to comfort him. Jake's face was on **fire. **Conner was only a few inches taller than he was, but he did need to reach a little if he were to ever kiss him. OH GOD, the thought of kissing Conner. Now he was scarlet.

"Yeah... Maybe. I don't know... I'm just confused," Conner replied. Not minding the fact that Jake was touching his face. In fact he seemed to like it. Since he was already this far, Jake didn't want to push it. So he slowly started to move his hand away. But, Conner put his hand on top of his. "Don't. I like that." Well, then. Jake wasn't complaining!

"Okay. I don't mind," Jake said looking directly into Conner's eyes. Conner's cheek felt warm under his touch. His skin was soft, and turning a little red. Jake got lost in those beautiful blue eyes. They were simply gorgeous. Conner was staring right back at him. There was a small smile pulling at the edge of his mouth. Jake could feel his face had cooled off, also. Jake would have given anything to kiss him right then and there.

"Jake, I..." Conner started. He started to lean down a little.

"Yeah...?" Jake said. He knew where this was going. Conner started to close his eyes. Jake mimicked the gesture. Their faces were inches apart now, and getting closer.

"Hey Jake have you seen, WOAH!" Wally rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Conner and Jake ripped themselves apart. Jake stumbled back, and then purposefully turned his eyes red. He glared directly at Wally.

"Wallace. Rudolph. West," He said through gritted teeth. Conner on the other hand, looked embarrassed and uncomfortable. Jake noticed. "Hey, Conner-" Jake turned his eyes back to normal, and went over to try and comfort Conner. Jake reached out to touch him.

"Don't touch me!" Conner said, slapping his hand away. But since Conner was kryptonian, it sent Jake stumbling a few feet back. With a hand that now hurt like hell. Jake openly winced, and hoped something wasn't broken. Conner's eyes widened, he looked guilty. He looked like he wanted to run. "Just leave me alone!" Conner tore down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. Jake felt so guilty. As if it was his fault. He glared down the hallway at Wally.

"Dude. I am so sorry. I swear to **God** that was not purpose! I was not trying to cockblock you!" Wally said backing up. Jake seethed. His eyes were red again. He slowly approached the other boy. "Jake... Jake calm down. Jake no! Don't do that! NO!" Jake had two empty boxes full of styrofoam peanuts fly into Wally's head. He had somehow missed walking by those in his earlier daze. Wally fell to the ground in a giant pile of styrofoam peanuts. Jake left him there, and walked off.

Jake was worried. Wait no, that was a major understatement. Jake was distraught! He had no idea what he was supposed to do! Was that his fault? What should he do? How could he face Conner after that? He'd like to skin, Wally. But that came second. Sure that entire thing was rushed, and probably should not have happened... But it was still amazing! It was sensual, intimate, and... Even a little romantic. The setting wasn't, but... Oh whatever. Point is, Jake seriously hoped he still had a chance with the Superboy.

"Wow, you look upset." Robin said, hanging from the ceiling. What was he, a bat? Oh. Right. Apprentice of Batman.

"You could say that again... Hey, why are you hanging from the ceiling?" Jake asked, tilting his head. He liked Robin, or should he say Dick. He was trustworthy. Unless of course it was gossip. The kid loved that stuff just a little too much.

"I felt like it," Dick stated. He smirked as he let go, and landed on the floor. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"Not... Really," Jake said, slowly. He looked away from Dick's piercing eyes. He was uniform. He moved to step past, but Dick stepped in his way. "You're not gonna let me leave until I tell you, are you."

"Nope," Dick looked put his hands on his hips. "I could just find out on my own. I am a detective."

"Then... Do that?" Jake raised an eyebrow. It would take more work to make Jake tell, than it would to just ask around. "It's not like it'll be hard to find out."

"I know, but it's more fun this way!" Dick said. That smirk never leaves, does it?

"C'mon, Rob. Can't you just do it the way you normally do?" Jake asked exasperatedly. He needed a place to go think.

"Alright, if that's what you want," Dick said shrugging.

"Thank you..." Jake said putting a hand on his forehead and then letting it slide down his face. When he was done, he was alone. "Godammit, I really hate it when he does that." Jake continued his walking. Just when he_ wasn't_ looking for interaction. Suddenly everyone wants to talk to him. It's like that old saying... The second your pants are down is when everyone walks in. That gave Jake disturbing imagery that he wouldn't repeat. He kept wandering through the base. Where was he even going? Did it matter? Yes. Yes it did.  
>Jake made a u-turn in his step, and started heading towards his <em>original<em> destination of the briefing room. He was actually really close to it. He made a B-line for it, and was there in record time. He walked into the room, and was not pleased with what he saw.

"This past Fourth of July, four ice villains staged simultaneous attacks. Mr Freeze, Icicle Jr, Killer Frost, and Captain Cold were all easily apprehended. Perhaps... Too easily," Batman said. He was speaking to M'gann, Conner, and... Aqualad? And what was Superman doing there? Red Tornado he understood being there, but why the big man Supes? "Cold, and Frost were immediately sent to Belle Reve Penitentiary. A federal prison designed to house Super Criminals. The seventeen year old Icicle Jr was sent to a juvenile facility. Mr Freeze to his usual cell in Arkham Asylum. But Freeze petitioned the court to be declared legally sane, and junior sued to be tried as an adult. As a result, both await transport to Belle Reve. Which seems to have been the goal, all along. I'm sending the two of you in, to find out why."

"Who inside the prison will know their true identities?" Kaldur asked.

"No one," Batman answered. "We can't be sure the prison staff isn't compromised."

"Right," Kaldur said still seeming unsure.

"You, and Red Tornado will be waiting outside of Belle Reve in the bioship. Keep in telepathic contact, so when the mission is complete you can escape," Batman said.

"So how exactly are we going to... Get caught?" M'gann asked. "I could easily diguise myself as a criminal, but Conner..."

"You two will be disguising yourselves as the terror twins. Tommy, and Tuppence Terror. We've selected these two based on their body structure, height, build, and bond," Batman said, as an image of the twins popped up onto the screen. "I have pinpointed the exact location and date in which they will strike next, and that is when we will apprehend them. Understood? You have until the day after tomorrow to prepare." Jake tuned out the rest of the briefing. He wasn't going on this mission, so he wasn't needed here. He walked past the briefing and entered the zeta beam portal.

"**Recognized, Sacrifice B-08.**" The computer announced. It probably distracted them from their briefing, but Jake really did not care at the moment. He wanted his bed. And his orange juice. He also wanted to _not_ be in love with Superbo- Conner, anymore. He appeared in the basement of his house. Well... The secret basement, anyways. Man this saved him so much time. When he stepped out of the beam completely, he was alone.

Whatever. He walked through the room with all the fancy gadgets and whatever that weren't his. He walked through the dusty bookshelf entrance, up the stairs, through the house to the other stairs, then up to his room. He opened his door, and slipped inside. He closed it behind him. For some reason getting here felt a lot quicker than it should have. It's fine. No need to go a thought tangent about that. He saw his bed. He wanted desperately to just go over there and pass out on it. Wait, why wasn't he?

He crossed the room and unceremoniously flopped on the bed. He very unattractively stripped himself. First came his shoes, then his shirt, and then his pants. As each piece of clothing came off, he started to feel a little worse. He was exposed sure, but that was not what was troubling him. What was troubling him was obvious. If it weren't for that cockblock Wally, he would have gotten to kiss his crush! But... Now it wasn't clear if Conner would even look at him right now. And where was the fun in that?

"Jake, is everything okay? You didn't even say hi to your dear sister," Isara fake pouted on the other side of the door. "But seriously, are you okay? You know you can always talk to me." Jake appreciated his sister's efforts. But he wanted to be alone.

"Yeah... I know. I'll talk to you later, okay? I just need to be alone right now," Jake said only loud enough so she could hear him.

"Okay. I'm right down the hall, if you need anything," She said softly and walked away. Jake heard her footsteps travel down the _stairs_ not the hallway. Why did she always do that? Why did that bug him so much? It's almost as if- HOLD. UP. He really. _Really_ needed to stop getting so off-track in his thoughts. Right now? He was going to bed. It was still the afternoon, but that was fine. He reached up and pulled his light blocking curtains closed. Then he proceeded to dive under his covers and curl up. He really wished Conner was here, so they could snuggle. But then he also didn't want Conner to be here, because it would probably be crazy awkward.

"Problems of a gay kid," He muttered to himself. He'd never had a boyfriend. He'd kissed a few other boys, but those were mostly just dares or whatever. But he'd never gone past first base before. He swore he was the most sexually frustrated person who'd never had sex. He wanted to fix that problem... Desperately. But he didn't want just sex, he wanted a relationship! Well actually... He wanted Conner. He decided to be real with himself. He thought Roy was hot, too... But he really wanted Conner and all that came with him. One day... One day his wish might come true.

A shooting star was just what he needed. People had seen them before, his friends had, and his sister had seen several. But where was his?

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><p><strong>AN: So how was that? Did you enjoy it? I hope you did. Let me know what you think as a review! And also the favorite character/scene/line contest thing is still open! If you want to submit more than one, you can. Reviews! I CRAVE THEM FROM YOU. BECAUSE SERIOUSLY... I NEED MORE. Please? Pleeeeeeaaaaaase? Please please please? Review. XD Also. On a side note. What do you think of Angel? I know this was a Jake chapter, but I'm curious. As she is not my character, she's YamamotoAmeko's I still wanna know. Let me know? Pwease? *begging eyes* **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay! Hello hello hello! So here's Chapter 9 at long last. Now the plot is actually picking up! It's quite impressive, actually. Angel's got a really excellent plot-line beginning here. I'm sure you're gonna love it! Without further or do... Enjoy!**

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><p>"Would you like help regaining your memories, little hero?"<p>

Angel stood suspended between this reality, and Gavin's. What she knew to be true - that she had no memories, and no one knew where she had come from - had been challenged. Surely if he knew she was an amnesiac, if he was offering to help her remember... he must know who she had been. Or at least, know something of where she had come from. She could not pull her eyes off of his face. What was she seeing there? What feeling? She had never known before just how much emotion was displayed solely through the eyes...

"I would," she answered, not really knowing what she was saying. He was grinning at her again. It made her shiver.

"Oh, good," he smiled. There was a giggle in his voice, thrilling and frightening in the same instant. He held his hand out to her, and she took it silently. "I have something to show you."

He took off down the street without warning, as though he knew exactly where he was going. Angel thought it wasn't impossible. He'd been watching the city from the top of a building. He probably knew it like the back of his hand. They ran without paying the slightest attention to who saw them, which made Angel squirm uncomfortably. All eyes went to her wings. No one even seemed to realize that the blindfolded boy was _there_. At the back of her mind, Angel began to wonder if he really was.

Gavin led her down streets she did not know - unusual, considering her line of work. But then, it was not often that Angel made it out onto the streets of this, which might have been her home city. Her wings confined her to the cave, unable to have a second life, and her missions often sent her far from "home". His steps never faltered, though Angel was fairly sure he shouldn't have been able to see. He led her down into an unfamiliar park, small and green and empty apart from them. She, Gavin, and a small fountain on a stone plaza. It was to that carven stone statue that Gavin led her. A statue of an angel. He pointed up at it, tossing his sinister grin back over his shoulder.

"It's you!" he laughed. Angel's heart sank. He was mocking her...

"Gavin," she started, but he seized her hand again, dragging her up closer to the statue. He pushed her by the wings to stand upon the fountain, staring up into the angel's stone eyes.

"Look!" he insisted. "It's really you!"

She stared at the statue, trying hard to see herself in its weathered features. Certainly there were resemblances, but that was to be expected. Long hair, wings, a female body. Without color it would have been easy to mistake her for the statue's model. She narrowed her eyes, hunting for that one characteristic which might have Gavin convinced that this was a statue of her - whatever that was. She never found it. Hot breath whisked across her ear as Gavin leaned in over her wings. When he had come up onto the fountain with her, she did not know, but he balanced with ease upon its edge, his lips close up against her skin. She could feel him grinning.

"His name was Na'shak," Gavin whispered. Angel yelped, turned suddenly, confused by the words and by the thrill of Gavin's breath.

Gavin was gone.

Angel spun wildly around on the fountain, searching for him. Where could he possibly have gone? She was so focused on hunting him out, she forgot where he had left her. Her foot slipped out on the wet marble, and Angel went crashing wings-first into the shallow basin of the fountain. She sat up, soaked and spluttering, her hair darkened and plastered around her torso. She couldn't see a thing... but she could hear someone running.

"Are you alright?" a girl's voice reached Angel through the wall of her wet hair. Angel tried to shake the hair from her eyes, but sodden, it would not move. She could hear whomever the girl was clambering up onto the fountain. Slender fingers slipped between her bangs, pulled them apart. Angel blinked in surprise.

"Cassidy?" she asked quietly. Cassidy nodded eagerly, her own tawny hair dangling down into the water, darkening to the same shade as Angel's.

"Are you alright?" the girl repeated earnestly.

"I'm fine," Angel answered, casting one last quick glance around. Gavin really had vanished. "What are you doing here?" she asked, turning her eyes back to the human girl. She did not look frightened, as she had the last time Angel had seen her. She was smiling... smiling like M'gann did sometimes, when Angel walked into the kitchen first thing in the morning.

"I like this park," Cassidy answered. She held a hand out to Angel and helped her out of the water. "The fountain is pretty."

Angel glanced over at the fountain. She decided it might be best not to comment.

"So, um..." Cassidy started. She squirmed slightly in place. Angel glanced at her, confused. "What... were you doing in the fountain?"

"I didn't fall in on purpose..." Angel pointed out. That made Cassidy laugh.

"Come to my house and dry off," she offered, struggling to stifle her giggles. Angel started to object - flying would dry her off in minutes - but something stopped her. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally managing to get a word through her lips.

"Sure?"

Cassidy smiled eagerly, gripping her hand and leading her back out of the park. Angel, now thoroughly trapped, cast one last glance around in search of Gavin. She could only hope he would come find her again...

Giving her head a sharp shake, convincing herself that if he was really going to help her he _would_ show up again, she followed Cassidy back into the city.

He watched as they passed back through the park gates, vanishing back into the city crowds. Many heads turned to watch as Angel walked amongst them. The girl did not understand yet, did not know the consequences of fraternizing with simple humans. She had no secret identity. Could not have one.

Which meant any time she spent with a normal human girl was time given to her enemies.

A small smirk curled Gavin's lips. Absentmindedly he rolled his shoulders, feeling the muscles ache as they stretched, still sore from the great, gaping wounds which remained when they robbed him of his wings.

"Perhaps, T'mere," he whispered as Angel's white wings disappeared from view, "I will be able to break you, after all."

Cassidy's apartment was a small, two-level, four-room affair. Kitchen, joined with living room, stairs leading to a pair of bedrooms and a bathroom. Tiny, especially compared to the only homes that Angel had ever known. Tiny and... rather perfect. More than ever before Angel found herself wishing that she had the option of living a normal life. When they arrived Cassidy sat Angel down on the couch, grabbed some towels out of the closet, and wrapped her up in them. As much as she could really wrap the massive expanse of Angel's white wings. Satisfied that the hero had been thoroughly, and unnecessarily, dried off, she had rushed off into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. As though Fever, of all people, needed the heat...

She sat awkwardly, watching the white walls and wondering if this was how all normal people lived, until Cassidy came to join her on the sofa. The girl dropped onto the cushions at her side and passed her a hot chocolate. She did not even spare a glance for Angel's wings, which confused Angel to no end. She'd never met someone who could keep their eyes off her wings completely. With the obvious exception of Batman, who never seemed to be distracted by anything...

"This is... a nice house," she told Cassidy. Inside she was squirming - what was she supposed to say to a normal human? With heroes it was easy. Cassidy laughed at the comment.

"It's just an apartment," she answered, shaking her head and sipping at her cocoa. It left behind a whipped-cream moustache. "They all look the same."

"I'm sure that's not true," Angel objected quietly. "It doesn't look anything like where I live."

"But you're with the Justice League," Cassidy pointed out. Angel could hear laughter in her words. "Everything's different."

"That's true, I suppose," Angel murmured, sipping at the hot chocolate as well. She'd never tasted it before, and expecting something bitter, like coffee, she was unprepared. She jumped slightly, nearly spilling the hot chocolate down her front. That made Cassidy laugh again. Angel couldn't quite figure out what was funny about the situation, so she sat perfectly still, watching Cassidy laugh and drinking the sweet drink while she waited for silence. It took some time to come, and the smile never left Cassidy's face.

"Thanks for saving me, the other day," she murmured when she could breathe normally again. Everything the girl did seemed to take Angel by surprise.

"No... problem?" she managed. There did not seem to be another way to respond to that. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"No problem," Cassidy returned, grinning at Angel. "What was I supposed to do, let you drown?"

"How can someone drown in a fountain?" Angel asked, dumbfounded, completely missing the was fine. She seemed to amuse Cassidy to no end.

"So what's it like?" Cassidy questioned. "Living with the Justice League?"

"I don't think I'm allowed to tell you," Angel answered honestly. Cassidy shrugged.

"That's alright. Then... what's it like to fly?"

Angel wasn't sure what made her do it. It was probably stupid, probably going to get her in trouble with _someone. _She said it the same way she said things around Gavin. It just... happened.

"You want to try it?"

Cassidy gave her a wide-eyed look, disbelieving. For one long moment the small apartment was full of silence.

"Would you?" her voice came through in an excited whisper. Angel felt her heart sink. The offer had been made, there was no backing out now. She just hoped that the League wouldn't be too angry with her.

"Sure?" she answered, setting her nearly empty mug down on a nearby table. Cassidy scrambled to her feet and seized Angel's hand, dragging the still-damp hero to her feet.

"Come on!" she laughed, heaving Angel, who had no choice but to follow, to the door.

The weather outside had not changed, still bright and sunny and comfortable. Angel cast her eyes skyward, watching a few fluffy white clouds whisk away in the wind. The wind hadn't died down, either, still as strong as it had been when she landed upon Gavin's building. Where had he gone...?

"How high can you go?" Cassidy's voice, shrill with excitement, broke Angel's thoughts.

"Pretty high," Angel answered. "I've never measured it..."

"Take me up as high as you can!" Cassidy laughed, grabbing onto Angel's arm and bouncing in place. Angel couldn't help but laugh.

"I can't," she told Cassidy. "You'd suffocate..." Cassidy gave Angel an impatient look.

"And you wouldn't?" she demanded. Angel just shook her head. "Fine! Then... take me over the city."

"If... that's what you want?" Angel agreed. She reached out, pulling Cassidy into her arms. It felt strange to hold someone else so protectively. Before she had always been the one in someone else's arms. Somehow... it felt good. "Hold on tight, alright? And don't look down until you're ready."

She could see in Cassidy's face that the girl thought she was ready. She wasn't. She didn't know what she was asking. Angel's wings opened up on either side of her, stretching out to their full eighteen foot span, glistening in the sunlight. Cassidy's eyes followed the movement, fascinated. Not frightened... simply amazed. Angel paused to draw one deep breath. This... she did not really want to know how it was going to end.

Her wings nearly stroked the ground as she beat down, leaping into the sky. Fifteen feet up and their momentum failed them. They started to drop. Cassidy screamed. Angel's wings beat down again, cutting off the frightened sound as they were propelled further towards the sky. Cassidy buried her face in Angel's shoulder as they winged ever closer to the clouds. Cassidy weighed little, clinging tightly around her neck. Angel had to force herself not to look down and check that the girl was still there.

Twenty wing-beats. She had timed that before - the effort it took to reach the height of the average skyscraper in Lowport. She peaked there, leveling out to glide upon the waves of hot air which rose from the city streets. Cassidy still had not moved, clinging onto Angel, hiding. Angel couldn't quite sympathize - she'd never had reason to be afraid of heights.

"Cassidy," she prompted quietly. The girl twitched but did not uncover her face. "Should I take you down?"

"No!" Cassidy gasped, squirming in Angel's arms and forcing the young hero to scramble for a grip. The girl tore her face away from Angel's shoulder to attempt a glare, but she caught sight of the city beneath them and was forced to hide once more.

"But if you're scared-" Angel started, but she was cut off as Cassidy dug her nails into Angel's arm.

"Just... keep flying," she squeaked. "I'll get used to it."

Angel frowned, doubtful, but she did as she was told, beating her wings to keep them level as they soared onwards across Lowport. For several long minutes there was only silence, overlain by the roar of the wind in Angel's ears. Slowly, oh so slowly, Cassidy relaxed in Angel's arms. She pulled her head up from Angel's shoulder, staring at first straight ahead, as Angel did... and eventually gaining the courage to look down. Angel knew the moment the girl did. She sucked in a breath, astonished.

"It's so small!" she squeaked, glancing wildly around a Angel. Concentrating on flying, Angel spared Cassidy only a small smile.

"It is," she agreed. "See anyone you know?" Cassidy gave her an odd look.

"How would I be able to recognize them from here?"

Angel blinked, frowning. She forgot sometimes that not everyone could zero in on the faces of the people walking beneath them. Hawk-sight had its uses... and its disadvantages. Mostly the fact that not everyone could use it. She shrugged slightly and let the question slide.

"Is there somewhere you want to go?" she asked. A particularly strong wind hit against the bottom of her wings, lifting them several feet higher. Cassidy's arms tightened around her neck. Angel found herself stroking the girl's hair in absentminded comfort.

"N-no," Cassidy answered, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "Just... fly around a little bit."

Angel just nodded and tipped her wings into the air, swerving away across the world which could never really seem like home.

After hours in the air, Angel left Cassidy back at her apartment, exhausted but pleased. The sun had begun its daily descent. They had been out flying through lunch, had thought of returning only after the shadows began to lengthen. Angel knew that Cassidy must be exhausted, but the girl didn't show it. She bid Angel farewell with a chipper smile before vanishing into her apartment. Angel lingered for a time, watching the lights flicker off in the complex, before she took to the air again. Evening had struck before she reached the zeta-beam.

"_**Recognized, Fever, B-09**_**,"** the zeta-beam announced her arrival on the base. Angel was slowly getting used to everyone knowing when she came back. She scanned the room quickly, searching out the only inhabitant.

"Superboy," she called quietly, raising a hand in greeting. She crossed the room to where he stood, brooding. She had never been particularly perturbed by his grumpy silences.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she answered, smiling. "Where is everybody?"He shrugged.

"Somewhere," he answered. Angel laughed and shook her head.

"Are they in the kitchen?"

"I guess,"

Angel could only laugh at that.

"Aren't you going to say something?" she prompted gently. "I never get to talk to you."

"What do you want me to say?" he replied a little angrily. But it was the same as his usual anger-level.

"Oh, I don't know," Angel shrugged, and leaned up against the wall next to him. As much as she could. Her wings got in the way. "Anything.".

"Anything,"

Angel blinked, then laughed, shaking her head. She put one hand on his broad shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie.

"Take care of yourself, alright?" she murmured. "I'm going to find the others."

"How can I when he's mad at me," he muttered. Angel stopped, glancing back at him.

"Why would he be mad at you?" she asked, turning the rest of the way around. Her wings rustled with her curiosity.

"Because I... I don't know. It's confusing," he said. His eyes turned sad. He resembled a lost puppy. Angel forgot about the others, turned adn walked back to him. He was significantly taller than her, but she stared straight at him anyways, pale brows pinched together in concern.

"Did he say anything?" she asked softly.

"No, I... Ran away before he could," he replied sadly. "I feel so stupid. If I hadn't run away..." He began to get frustrated with himself.

"Hey," Angel murmured in a soothing tone, putting one hand on his arm. She didn't realize it as she let her powers work - healing powers were not meant only for the physical. Gentle, calming warmth radiated from her palm. "Just tell me what happened."

"Fine. We were in the hallway... Just the two of us. And we started getting really close, then we got interrupted. I... Guess I got scared," he said. That made Angel smile a little. Only a short time before he would never have admitted that.

"Was it Wally?" she asked gently.

"Yeah," he frowned. The frown quickly fell into a pout.

"I see," she murmured, shaking her head. "Did you think to apologize to Jake?"

"Of course I did," he snapped. Then he sighed. "But how... How could I face him after... That."

"By knowing that facing him is the only way you're ever going to fix this," Angel answered. "Do you know if Jake's still on base?"

"He left," he replied softly. "Wish I knew when he was coming back."

"He'll be back tomorrow," she told him in confident tones. "We have until then to figure out how you can make this better."

"If you say so," he still sounded unsure. Angel nodded firmly.

"I know you won't want me to be there when you do it," she told him, "so I'll be here now. To help you figure things out." She tipped her head, golden hair swaying as she gazed at him. "That's what friends are for. Right?"

"Yeah... I guess so," he said smiling a little.

"Come on," Angel coaxed, giving his arm a gentle tug. As though she could ever actually pull him anywhere. "Let's go find the others. Stop thinking about it for a while. It'll make it easier."

"But I... I can't," he said. "I just want it better." Angel tugged on him again.

"You can't fix anything until Jake comes back in the morning," she reminded him. "Come be with your friends. They'll worry about you."

"I know where he lives, if you want his address," Robin said popping up from absolutely nowhere. Angel yelped, beating her wings in shock.

"Robin!" she complained, clinging onto Superboy to stay on her feet.

"Were you listening the whole time?" Superboy asked angrily as he steadied Angel.

"More or less," Robin shrugged. "I saw him when he left. He was pretty upset. There's a zeta-beam that goes right to his house. If you want to talk to him, that is."

"Yeah but... Should I?" Superboy asked. He scratched the back of his neck nervously. Angel smiled quietly and gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"You want to talk to him, right?" she prodded.

"I do... Really bad," he admitted. "But..."

"Ehh it's fine. Just try and stay whelmed," Robin reassured. Angel sighed.

"Robin, how can that be helpful if none of us really understand what it means?"

"Don't think about it too much," Robin adviced.

"Right," Angel muttered, and turned back to Superboy. "If you want to apologize now, instead of waiting, then you should take the zeta-beam." She hesitated for an instant. "That might be better... for you to go to him, rather than waiting for him to come to you."

"If he ever would," Superboy said. "Yeah, I'll go to him."

"Good," Angel smiled. She glanced at Robin. "You... _do_ know how to get there, right?"

"Totally. Go there all the time," Robin said. He grabbed Superboy and started dragging him to the zeta-beams. He started punching in directions. Angel watched from a distance, satisfied. She'd done her part. That was what it meant to be a member of a team.

"**Recognized. Superboy B-04,**" The computer said. Superboy vanished.

"So. Now that he's gone. Where have _you_ been, Angel?" Robin said, appearing at her side as if he had never left. Angel jumped again. She never managed to anticipate that.

"Lowport," she answered honestly. She never had learned to lie to her friends. "Flying."

"Oh, cool. Were you with anyone?" he questioned. Angel nodded.

"A friend of mine," she agreed.

"Uhhh... Did anyone _see_ you?"

"I'm not sure?" Angel answered, confused by the question.

"Well were you seen by anyone? Civilians, newspapers, supervillians," Robin listed. Angel stared at him, utterly bewildered. She did not know what to say. She did not watch the ground when she flew - that was a sure way to run into a building. "Probably not the best thing to do. Look, I know it must be hard not being able to blend in with civilians. But, you can't just fly around and make friends in public. You've _got_ to be careful."

Angel blinked at Robin, brows pulling together in concern.

"Why?" she asked softly. This was Robin - she knew he would understand she honestly did not know.

"Well... Because. The whole point of having a secret identity is so that villains don't find out who you really are. So they can't attack you while you're sleeping. Or worse, use the people you love against you," Robin said. He looked down at the ground. "It's one of the first things Batman taught me. Watch my own back, around every corner."

Angel could only stare at Robin. She could not comprehend a world where people could not be trusted... she had never had her trust betrayed. But what she _did_ know was that she trusted Robin. He would not warn her if there was no reason. She nodded.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine. Just make sure you're careful next time, okay? Next time you go out with friends, make sure you're not seen by too many people," Robin advised.

Angel bit her lip, nodding in agreement. Privately, she wondered what sort of person might do her harm. Most of the people she'd fought with the team were locked away somewhere...

Why did Gavin's sinister smile fade into her mind?

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><p><strong>AN: So what did you think? A pretty nice Superboy Angel moment there, huh? We didn't call him Conner here, because she doesn't know his name yet. And... Well.. We know how "expressive" Conner is. He isn't, really... Anyways. Jake chapter soon! Very soon! Because I have nothing else to do ever! Let us know what you think by leaving a review! No seriously. Only two people WHO WE LOVE review consistently. We know there are more of you. And we want to know what you think. So. REVIEW. Kaythanksbye. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: HELLOOOOOOOOO! Okay so. Just a warning off the back. THIS CHAPTER. GAVE ME TONS OF FEELS. TONS. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. Both YamamotoAmeko and I were flailing so hard when writing this. It is VERY SuperJake themed. I had a lot of fun writing it. My favorite chapter so far actually. I'm squealing just writing about it. A lot of important things happen to Jake this chapter. AND ALSO IMPORTANT. We don't follow Jake until the end section of the chapter. We'll be following Superboy and Isara first. THEN Jake. I... Am not sure how it turned out like that. It just... Did. **

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><p>"<strong>Recognized. Superboy B-04,<strong>" the zeta-beam computer announced. Isara looked up from the table she was working on. She was actually working on Jake's swords. She lifted the welding mask she had on, and blinked a couple of times. Superboy was in her basement. What the hell was he doing here? Wasn't he... Jakey's crush?

"Uhhh hey there, Superboy. Do you uh... Need something?" she asked. He looked over at her. His expression was nervous, and he was scratching the back of his neck. "And by need something, I mean what are you doing here?"

"I... Uh... Is-Is Jake here?" he asked softly. He was avoiding eye contact. Isara tilted her head.

"Yeeeeaaaaah, he is. I'm guessing you're not here on official business," she figured. She lifted the mask completely off her head. She undid her ponytail and let her bright red hair fall freely. "C'mon, I'll take you to him." She nodded her head towards the stairs. Superboy hesitantly followed. This was very uncomfortable for him.

"Thanks," he muttered. He followed through the room full of gear, armor, and gadgets. Jake's family must be pretty important to the League. This was really quite impressive. She was closer to Superman than he was... He didn't know how to feel about that. His eyes widened as she walked right towards what looked like wall. She didn't stop, and the wall moved for her. He followed quickly, and was surprised by how different the other room looked. The last room was very high-tech and similar to the cave. This room was a mess. And it smelled moldy. He turned back to see the passage they had walked through. All he saw was a dusty old bookshelf.

"Are you coming?" Isara called from the stairs. She motioned for him to follow. He quickly caught up, muttering his apologies. He followed her up the creaky steps. She opened the door at the top of the stairs, and the environment changed dramatically again. He was in a clean house. A very clean house. The walls were brightly colored. "Sooooo Superboy. Can I getcha anything? A drink maybe? Orange Juice is Jake's favorite." She winked at him.

"U-Uhh... Sure," he replied. She turned around and started walking again. He followed behind her. She lead him to the kitchen, and within seconds had a glass of orange juice in her hands.

"Here," she said. He took it in his hands, and started drinking it. It was surprisingly refreshing. He had used little to no energy getting here, but the drink was... Helpful. He guessed. "Jake's room is right at the top of the stairs. Go up whenever you feel like it. If you need me, I'll be back in my... Office-base-thing." She left him. He was alone. In someone else's house. The only other time he'd been in someone's house like this before was with Wally.  
>Conner didn't know what to do. Why did he come here again? Right, to make things right with Jake. But was this the right way? He could run away again...No, he was done running from things. He was going to talk to Jake. And he was going to do it right now. But... Maybe he should... Make sure he looks okay first? No that was ridiculous. He should just do it, and get it over with. Well. Not over with but... Oh whatever.<p>

He wandered the house until he found the staircase. He saw the door at the top of it. For some reason that sight was very intimidating. Which was stupid, because he was Kryptonian. Nothing should intimidate him. And yet... Facing a boy who he... Liked. Was what he was scared of. He wondered if Superman ever felt like this. He sighed, and started his ascent of the stairs.  
>Each step he got more and more confident. He was more than half way up them. He was sure he could handle this<strong>. <strong>Yeah, he could do this. It would be fine.

He was completely confident by the last step. He walked the few last steps to the door. He stood outside of it for a few moments. He took a deep breath. A Kryptonian deep breath. Before slowly reaching forward and turning the knob.

He heard it click to show that it was unlocked. He slowly pushed the door open. It was very dark, despite being the afternoon. He closed the door behind him. He could see just fine, due to his enhanced vision. What he saw made him full on blush. He saw Jake laying on his bed, on top of his covers, and fast asleep.

This would have been fine, had Jake been wearing clothes. He was clad only in boxers. Superboy flushed. He couldn't help but stare.  
>Jake's lean body was very clearly shown in the pose he was sleeping in. Jake was flat on his back, one leg stretched out, and the other one bent. The same with his arms. Jake's head was nestled against a pillow. His mouth was parted slightly. His pecs and abs were an added bonus, as they did nothing but make Jake look... Stunning. Conner also couldn't help but notice the boy'sbiceps. Sword fighter. Right.<br>Conner shook his head. He didn't know what he was doing, but he slowly started approaching the bed. With each step, his body responded with a different reaction. First it was butterflies, then it was a weird... Heat in the pit of his stomach. What did that mean? Once he was at the edge of the bed, he knelt down next to Jake.

"Um... Hi," he said awkwardly. Jake didn't even move. "I uh... Just wanted to say... Sorry for... Running earlier. I, I want to fix things. Make them better."  
>Jake's sleeping form merely twitched a little. Jake grumbled something in his sleep. Then he started to squirm a little. If Conner didn't feel awkward before, he sure as hell did now.<p>

"Uh... Jake?" he said quietly. He lightly reached over to touch Jake's shoulder. Jake's grumbling turned into whines. Was he having a nightmare? Conner was beyond confused and uncomfortable. Jake make a loud grunting sound and then let out a complete shriek. He suddenly shot up into a sitting position.

"CONNER MOVE!" Jake shouted. His panting was the only sound to be heard in the room. His eyes were red. Red and _glowing_. Conner stared at him. He knew what it meant when Jake's eyes glowed like that. Whatever nightmare he had, must have been pretty intense. Jake slowly began to cry. His eyes were returning to normal. It almost looked like his tears were cooling the fire behind his eyes. Conner didn't know what to do. But he had to help. He couldn't bare to see Jake cry.

He slowly climbed onto the bed. Jake didn't notice, for he was having a silent sob fit. Conner reached over to him, and brought Jake into a hug. A tight, and comforting hug. Jake accepted it, and cried into Conner's shoulder. Conner didn't say anything. He just let Jake cry. He wasn't even sure if Jake knew it was _him_ or not. Jake's arms tightened around Conner's body, and Jake began to shake.  
>Conner didn't know what else to do. Jake was an emotional wreck. He didn't even want to imagine what Jake had seen in his dream. All he knew was that it had something to do with himself. If Jake was calling out <em>his <em>name, and his eyes were glowing red, then... Conner wondered if he was in danger in Jake's dream.

Conner slowly rubbed Jake's back. He was so worried about Jake. He swore in that moment, that even if the world were ending... He would not leave this boy. Not even for a second. He cared too much about him. Jake whimpered a little, in between his quiet sobs. Conner's shoulder was getting pretty wet. Conner squeezed Jake a little. Just to show reassurance. To show his support.

"Oh god... I'm so sorry," Jake managed to say. Conner merely shook his head.

"Shhh. It's fine," Conner said softly. Jake slowly pulled away to look Conner in the eye, as to ask if it really was okay. "Really." Conner smiled softly at him. Jake seemed to be calmed a little bit. He returned to his earlier position. His tears were constant, but they weren't as severe as several minutes earlier.  
>Jake snuggled into Conner's embrace. The tears were slowing down. Now he just sniffling. Conner gave him another gentle squeeze.<p>

"Will you... Kiss me?" Jake asked. Conner physically tensed. Was he ready for his first kiss? He did _want_ to kiss Jake, but... Could he? Jake pulled away slightly once again. His eyes were still puffy. Still tear streaks left on his cheeks. "Please?" Conner couldn't resist.  
>He nodded. Then he slowly leaned forward, and their lips met. Jake sighed into the kiss, and kissed back. It wasn't passionate. It was awkward, and tense, and Conner didn't know what he was doing. Jake slowly started to move his lips against Conner's still ones. Conner tried his best to mimic the movement. But it turned out to be sloppy. He was enjoying it. He wanted to be with Jake, in a couple sense. Jake slowly pulled away from the kiss.<p>

"I... Jake," Conner started. "Sorry... About earlier." Jake just looked at him. A sad smile on his face.

"It's okay," he said. It sounded somewhere between a laugh and a sob. His emotions weren't entirely under control yet. "It's okay." Jake snuggled back into Conner. Only this time, he scootched himself down so he could snuggle into Conner's chest. Conner let him snuggle there.

"Hey... Jake?" Conner asked softly.

"Mm?" Jake said, getting sleepy again.

"Will you... Will you be my boyfriend?"

"Yeah... Yeah I will," Jake replied. Conner could feel Jake relaxing, which meant he had probably just fallen asleep. Conner was determined not to move. He would stay here, and comfort his boyfriend. It probably wasn't even sunset yet. The team would wonder where he was. Let them wonder. All that mattered was... Jake.

A couple of hours passed, and Superboy hadn't come back downstairs yet. Isara decided she should check on them. Juuuuuust to make sure. She was taking a break in the kitchen. Leaning against the counter as she sipped her mug of coffee. She had to check on them. She was prepared to walk in on _anything_. In fact she almost hoped she walked in on them in "the act". Just so she could make sure Jake would never live it down.

She put her mug down on the counter, and started walking towards the staircase. As she got to the bottom of them, she wondered if she really should check on them. They were both old enough to take care of themselves. They were mature and... Nah. She was going to check on them anyways. Just to troll. She started climbing the stairs. As she reached the top, she noticed that the door was closed and the lights were off. Did Superboy already leave and she just didn't notice? Or maybe he chickened out, and never went in to begin with. Either way, that meant Jake was asleep.

She tip-toed over to the door. She slowly and quietly turned the knob, until it clicked. Then she opened the door just a crack. She stuck her head in, and nearly made an obnoxious sound. What she saw... Was perhaps the cutest thing she had _ever_ seen.

Superboy was lying flat on his back on Jake's bed. Jake was on top of him, using his chest as a pillow. Superboy had his arm draped over Jake's back. Both of them were asleep. Jake was... Smiling. She was so happy for him. Because she knew what that meant. Jake had finally done it. He had a boyfriend. Finally... She was so proud of him. Oh wait. Jake was only in his underwear. Oh dear.

She closed the door and headed back downstairs. She was definitely making them a huge and kick-ass breakfast tomorrow. Then kicking them out to go on their first date.

Conner slowly opened his eyes, to the smell of... Food. It smelled like breakfast. He felt a weight on his chest. He looked down at his chest to find a sleeping Jake there. He smiled softly. He started stroking Jake's hair. That seemed to be enough stimulation to cause the boy to stir. Jake opened his eyes and yawned softly.

"Hey you," Jake said sleepily.

"Hey," Conner replied. Jake slowly rolled off of Conner and lay down beside him. "Are you... Feeling better?" Jake stared up at the ceiling.

"Yeah. Sorry... You had to see me like that," Jake said softly. "It was just... I couldn't handle that nightmare."

"It's fine," Conner said. He turned onto his side to look at Jake. "What happened in your dream?"

"You... Don't wanna know. I'll tell you when I'm ready," Jake replied. Jake turned to look at Conner.

"Okay," Conner replied. He slowly started to get off the bed. Jake looked confused. "Let's get some breakfast."

"O-Okay. Let me just get dressed first," Jake said. He got off his bed, and some clothes flew over to him. He put on a pair of sweatpants, and a plain white t-shirt. Conner reached over and lightly grasped Jake's hand.

"Ready?"

"Y-Yeah," Jake flushed. The two moved out of Jake's room and slowly went down the stairs. Conner loved the way Jake's hands felt in his own. He intertwined their fingers, and honestly wished that he'd never have to let go. They started going down the stairs.  
>Conner didn't want anything to happen Jake, ever. He'd protect him no matter what. Going down the stairs took longer than it should have. They were moving really slowly. When they reached the bottom, their speed increased.<p>

"There you two lovebirds, are!" Isara said when the two boys entered the kitchen. They looked at each other, a little confused. "I made you guys a kick-ass breakfast. Because it's about damn time you two got together." She gestured to the table. On the table, there were plates of different heart shaped breakfast foods. Heart shaped pancakes, waffles, toast, and french toast. Conner and Jake both blushed a little at the effort.

"But... Why? And more importantly, how?" Jake asked. Isara raised her eyebrow at him.

"Pssh. I'm a badass in the kitchen. You know that. Besides, I saw you guys cuddling last night. SO adorable!" She said, flailing her wrists a little. "... I am being such a stereotype right now. Ehhh it's fine."

"Yeah no... You're not," Jake reassured. He still held onto Conner's hand and guided them over to sit at the table. Isara was flailing and making... Unnatural noises. Conner wished he could have a relative like her. Someone who clearly supported and loved Jake no matter what.

"So... I'm gonna leave you two alone now! And no it's not for your sake. I have to get away from you two, or I'm gonna explode," She said. With that, she turned and walked a little too quickly out of the kitchen. The lovers started serving themselves. Jake's serving size was smaller than Conner's, but there was a size and muscle difference between them.

"How is it?" Jake asked. Conner looked over at him with a mouth full of pancake, and some leftovers on the side of his mouth. Jake laughed softly, as he used his fingers to scrape away the mess. "That good huh?"

"Yeah," Conner answered when he finally swallowed. Jake took a small piece of french toast on his fork, and held it out to Conner. Conner obliged him. He let Jake feed him several times. Conner laughed softly as Jake kept insisting on feeding. Jake went so far as to lightly slap Conner's hand away from trying to feed himself.

It went on like that for several minutes. Jake feeding himself using his telekinesis, and using his hands to feed Conner. It wasn't long before the boys had finished everything on the table. The two wondered what to do with themselves. Now that they were a couple... Neither was sure what to do next. Both were willing to do whatever the other wanted.

"We could... Go back to the cave? And see everyone's reactions?" Jake suggested offhandedly.

"No thanks," Conner replied. Jake raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why not? I'm not pushing for it, just curious as to why you're so... Opposed,"

"I... I know some people know about... Me," Conner started. "But... I'm not ready for... Everyone to know."

"Okay. That's fine. I understand," Jake nodded. "But... Don't you have that mission to take care of? You don't exactly look like Tommy Terror, yet."

"Oh yeah... That," Conner replied. He wasn't sure about how this mission was going to go. He wasn't sure... But he thought M'gann might like him. What if she did something? No, she wouldn't... She's too nice for that.

"Well, let's go make you look like him at least. C'mon," Jake said. He stood up, and then started tugging at Conner's shirt to get him to stand up. Conner obeyed and slowly stood up. "It won't be that bad. Cheer up!" Conner grumbled in response.

"As long as I get to hold your hand until we get there,"

"Like that _wasn't_ going to happen," Jake replied. He lightly placed his hand into Conner's. Conner intertwined their fingers, and they were off. Conner really didn't want to go back to the cave. He wasn't ready for their relationship to be known. But he also knew he might not be able to control himself. They'd only been dating for a few hours, and most of them were spent sleeping. But already, he didn't want to stop holding Jake's hand. He was fine around Jake's sister, but... He didn't know how he'd react when being stared down by the team.  
>Sure they accepted Jake, but... Would they accept him? Ugh, all this worry was frustrating him. Who cares what they think, actually. Because all that matters, is what Jake thinks. And... Maybe Superman.<p>

"I don't like this," Conner pouted. They were making their way down the basement stairs. Still holding hands. Jake looked at him.

"We don't have to go, if you don't want to. We can... Go on a date in Gotham or something. Maybe Star City?" Jake tried. Conner shook his head.

"No you're right... I have to look more like Tommy,"  
>"Okay. Then let's get started. I don't know if Kryptonian hair cuts very well," Jake said. He reached up and ran his hand through Conner's hair. Conner secretly relished the feeling. He loved having any physical contact with Jake.<br>Conner continued his thoughts on Jake as the two entered the secret part of the basement. The second the bookcase closed behind them, a bright flash went off. The two blinked, and looked at where it came from. Isara was standing there holding a camera. She was blushing, and giggling at the picture.

"You guys are so in love. I know you've only been dating for hours, but this picture was just way too adorable!" She said. She turned the camera around, and showed them what it looked like. They were holding hands, and looking at each other. They both had expressions of adoration, puppy love, and happiness. She must have had perfect timing. Because those looks could have only lasted for a second. "I am framing this, and putting it in your room. And... One in my room. Just because."

"... I have nothing to say to that," Jake said. Conner blushed a little, and looked at the wall. "Could... I have one?" he asked softly. "Of the pictures... I mean."

"Of course! You think I wouldn't give you one? Pssh no. I'm taking a picture of you guys every time you're here together," Isara declared.

"So you're going to stalk us?" Jake said as he started walk past her, dragging Conner along with him.

"Stalking is such a harsh word. I prefer... Fangirling?" Isara said.

"That's even worse," Jake called over his shoulder. Conner was dragged over to the zeta beam. Jake was putting in the address for the cave. The beam started to warm up.

"**Recognized. Sacrifice, B-08. Superboy, B-04,**" The computer announced. The two started walking inside of it, and Conner turned Jake to face him. As the zeta beam started doing it's thing, Conner kissed Jake. Jake kissed him back.  
>The kiss lasted. They didn't even notice they had arrived at the cave. Not until Conner finally pulled away from it. Jake smiled up at him, Conner smiled back. The two turned and started walking into the briefing room. Only to stop dead in their tracks. Because Angel was standing there. Watching them.<p>

"How long have you been standing there?" Angel laughed softly.

"Since you arrived," she answered, turning her smile on Conner. "You made up, then?"

"How does she know we had a... Thing?" Jake asked suspiciously.

"Because... I told her," Conner admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "But she's the one who convinced me to go see you."

Angel glanced at Jake, still smiling. She was struggling to keep a cap on how thrilled she was.

"Don't worry," she told the boy, her voice quiet and ecstatic. "I won't tell anyone." Conner nodded in response.

"You go on ahead. I'll be right behind you," Jake said. Conner looked at him. He wasn't worried, he just didn't want to let go of Jake's hand. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

"I'm not... I just," Conner started. "I don't want to let go of your hand."

"Youuuu are such a teddybear," Jake said. He gave Conner a quick kiss. "Go on, I'll catch up soon." Conner finally did as he was told. He slowly, _painfully_ slowly let go of Jake's hand. Then he started walking towards his room. He was pouting. Now that he had Jake, he didn't want to _not_ be around him. In fact he was planning on spending the whole day with him. Well... It wasn't even noon yet, so. He could make up for lost time.

"You? Convinced Conner to do that?" Jake asked. He was wrong about her. Completely.

Angel glanced at Jake, smiling slightly.

"Yes?" she answered quietly. "You sound surprised."

"Well, I... Um. Guess I jumped to some conclusions... About you,' Jake said. He was avoiding eye contact. "Thank you... For talking to him, that is."

Angel tipped her head, gazing at Jake. She had matured a great deal since she'd joined the team. No longer so naive or quite so oblivious to the world around her. She had known Jake did not like her very much, though she had never known why. Perhaps this was a chance to mend that... Carefully, wings rustling, she crossed to stand beside him. She reached out and touched his hand gently, letting her energy radiate. Warm him.

"Not a problem," she answered, smiling. "It's the least I could do."

"The least you could do...? Not like I've done anything to deserve that. I mean... I admittedly wasn't the nicest guy to you," he said. He was studying the ground. "You know I... I misjudged you. And I'm sorry about that." He reached his hand out to her. Angel took it.

"Let's be friends?" she suggested, still smiling, unconcerned by the past. What Jake had done and what he was doing now more than made up for each other, and she had not been upset by him in the first place.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Jake replied. He was glad. Now he was friends with his entire team. Angel was a great person. Why he hadn't seen it before... He wasn't sure. But all that mattered at the current moment was that they were on good terms. Maybe he'd even have her over. Except... Isara was embarrassing. Very much so actually. Well... Maybe she wouldn't be. "You should come over some time."

Angel's wings beat lightly, reacting to her excitement. Somehow, her smile widened.

"I would love that!" she laughed, squeezing his hand gently. She found relief in knowing he did not hate her.

"I would too. But... Unfortunately, I have a Kryptonian waiting for me. Talk to you soon?" Jake said, releasing her hand.

"Very soon," Angel agreed, waving to him. "And have fun. It's good to see you together."

"It's all thanks to you!" Jake said, as he started running towards Conner's room. He had to make up for lost time. On his way, he thought back on the past twenty-four hours. They had been lifechangers for him. He had a boyfriend, he was dating his _crush._ And he had made friends Angel. Angel was... His half-nemesis for a little while. He was not easily trusting. Not even in the slightest. But that's what happens when you were doing solo work for almost a year before joining a team.

He reached Conner's room. He took a deep breath, to come down off his runner's high. Then he knocked on the door. It opened slowly, and he happily went inside. Conner was waiting for him. Jake walked up to him and gave him a hello kiss. He realized Conner was sitting next to pictures of Tommy Terror. Jake definitely had his work cut out for him. But that was fine. He'd make this happen.

He didn't need a shooting star after all. His wish had already come true. And for that, he was thankful.

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><p><strong>AN: what did you think? Did you flail? Did you squee? Did you fangirl/fanboy? I KNOW I did. Oh god. Angel and Jake finally had their moment! YES! Next chapter is Angel. And her story is REALLY going to start getting good. Get ready, because her story gets more and more intense. SuperJake to follow in the next chapter! Review! Let us know what you thought. Yes, I am aware at the SuperJake scene was cliche as all hell. I DID THAT ON PURPOSE. Because... Yes. I kind of love cliche things. Bahahaha... Anyways. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey there. We're back! Not... That it's been very long. But still. We love this story. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter! And the pairing name between Conner and Jake is SuperJake. Just so you know. So this is an Angel chapter. It features: Gavin, Angel, Jake, Isara, and Cassidy. Gavin creeps both of us. It's just not even okay. Anyways. ENJOY! **

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><p>Angel stood awkwardly at the center of the room, nervously beating wings stirring up a slight breeze which whisked papers off of the counter. She had never been in anyone else's house before - except Cassidy's, but she wasn't part of the Team. Somehow she had trouble picturing most of her companions living a normal life in the city. Perhaps because she had no clue what a normal life was really like. Now, she stood in the middle of Jake's kitchen, staring around and wondering what she was doing here. She was glad to spend time with him, now that tensions had eased. It still made her nervous.<p>

"Um..." she started, fidgeting and glancing over her right wing at Jake. "This is... a very nice home."

"It's nice, I guess. But I live here so nothing's really all that exciting to me," Jake replied. "So. Supreme bars or... Well I guess the other choice in bacon."

Angel brightened visibly at the mention of bacon. She bit her lip.

"Um... may I?" she asked timidly. She had mostly grown out of her awkward fear of other people, but when it came to asking for things... she still squirmed.

"For... Which? You looked happier at bacon but... Still not sure which one you picked," Jake said. Both choices were floating out in front of him.

"Bacon," she answered immediately, possibly a little too eager. They'd had... something vegetarian for dinner at the cave the night before, and she was starving.

"Bacon it is. Approved," Jake nodded at her. The supreme bars floated back into the pantry, and the bacon began opening itself. A frying pan made it's way over onto the stove, and the stove lit in response. "How do you like it?"

"Um... I don't think I've ever had it before," Angel admitted shyly, watching him in fascination. She always wondered just _how_ his powers worked. No one seemed to have a good answer for her.

"I'll just... Do it they way I normally do then," Jake responded. Two pieces of bacon moved from their package and onto the pan. They started sizzling loudly. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Sure..." Angel answered, not really sure what else to say. When it came to living, or even existing, outside the shelter of the cave, she was a little lost.

"Okay, let's see what we've got. We have," Jake started. He wandered over to the fridge and it opened itself. "Orange juice, milk, grape juice, sprite, coke, diet coke, pepsi, mountain dew, the option of chocolate milk, cranberry juice, sparkling cider, sparkling grape-flavored cider-"

"What is sparkling cider?" she interrupted, confused.

"Sparkling cider is like... An orgasm, except it's in your mouth," Jake responded. The bottle flew out of the fridge and landed gracefully on the table. "You wanna try some?"

"What's an orgasm...?"

"... Come again?" Jake asked. The two pieces of bacon being flipped was the only sound heard.

"What's an orgasm?" she repeated, frowning.

"SomethingIgetwheneverConner'sintheroom," Jake muttered as he avoided eye contact.

"Happy?" Angel suggested, picking up the words but not the underlying meaning.

"Well it... Makes you happy I guess," Jake replied. He nervously scratched the back of his neck. He clearly picked up the habit from Conner, despite them only dating for a day. "It's um. Uhh... Wow this is awkward."

Angel couldn't suppress a small laugh at that, covering her mouth hastily.

"Sorry," she mumbled, flushing slightly. "I didn't mean to make things..." she trailed off.

"It's... Not your fault. I mean... You probably knew before, right?" Jake said nervously. "Have you... Had any progress with... Getting them back? Your memories I mean."

"Oh..." Angel let her hand drop, frowning slightly. "Sort of? I don't... remember anything exactly but... someone's going to help me, so..."

"Someone? Who's this someone?" Jake asked. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that none of us have met this person?"

"No," Angel agreed. "I saved him a couple days ago. He... he knew about me." She frowned slightly, once again overcome by that odd, frightened tingling she had experienced upon meeting Gavin. But he had been kind to her. He was going to help her. She shouldn't be afraid.

"So... He knew about you?" Jake clarified. "As in... He knew who you used to be?" The two pieces of bacon flipped over again.

"Well, he knows I'm an amnesiac," she murmured, "and he knew my name wasn't really Fever... and... he said he could help me find my memories. But he didn't tell me if he knew who I was or not."

"Well... That's totally not creepy," Jake said sarcastically. The bottle of sparkling cider opened, and two glasses moved over to the where the bottle was. The bottle poured it's contents into both glasses. "Are you... Sure it's a good idea to trust this guy?" A glass moved over and hovered in front of Angel. Jake caught his and began drinking from it already. Angel picked her drink up, but was too absorbed in thought to try it.

"I don't see that I have much choice," she answered. Her tone was different, calm and firm, not nervous and not light as it usually was. Her brow furrowed in uncharacteristic concern. It happened from time to time - sometimes Angel's personality just seemed to... shift a little. An echo from another time - another place. "No one else can help me. No one here has a clue who I was or where I came from."

"That may be true. But... Just don't let your guard down, alright?" Jake advised. "If you're not careful he could do more harm than good."

Angel looked up at Jake, considering him through unusually quiet blue eyes, over the rim of her glass. A couple of days ago he wouldn't have given a fuck about what she was doing with Gavin. Or at least, he wouldn't have given very many fucks... but now things were different. She was glad they were different. Glad to have Jake on her side.

"OH MY GOD IT'S FUCKING HOT OUTSIDE!" A voice screamed. Angel nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Isara..." Jake facepalmed.

"I-Isara?" she asked, moving quickly to stand near Jake. It wasn't every day she heard someone scream like that. "Does... she need help?"

"No. Believe me. She's fine," Jake responded.

"Seriously! There is NO reason for this hot temperature. JAKE ARE YOU HERE. I HAVE GROCERIES FOR YOU TO TAKE FROM ME," Isara shouted. Jake sighed.

"I'll be right back," He said to Angel. Then he disappeared in the direction of the voice. Not sure what else she should, or could, do, Angel followed him. She hadn't been told to stay put, after all, and... even if she didn't need saving, the screaming woman sounded like she needed help. Hesitant, Angel peered around the corner after Jake's retreating back, and got her first glimpse of the woman called Isara.

"Jaaaaaaaake! It's so hot out there! Save me from the heeeeeeeaaaaaaaat," Isara whined. Jake was just raising an eyebrow at her. All the bags of groceries were floating in the air around him.

"Then close the door...?" Jake responded. The door behind Isara closed softly. "This is why you watch the weather."

"Hey! I'm a busy lady! Making all the shit isn't easy y'know! Besides you know how much sun I get! It's not like I-Oh who's that?" Isara asked looking at Angel, who raised a hand and waved hesitantly.

"Um... hi?" she murmured, wings returning to their nervous, fluttering beat.

"OH! So _you're_ the one Cla-I mean Superman saved... Wonder Woman talks an awful lot about you," Isara smiled. "So. Can I touch your wings?" Jake facepalmed.

"I'll... Just go put these in the kitchen," Jake said. He left the room, and made his way in the direction of the kitchen, the bags of groceries following behind him.

"Sure?" Angel agreed. What else could she say? She decided to pursue the conversation, rather than linger over it. "D-Wonder Woman talks about me?" she asked curiously. She could not help but want to know what it was Diana told people about her.

"YES," Isara said. She ran over to Angel and ran her hands all over the appendages. "Ahhh the Hawks never let me do this. These are so cool!"

"Why not?" Angel asked, frowning. Her wings shivered under Isara's hands. It was odd, but Angel had noticed on multiple occasions that it felt very good to have her wings stroked.

"I don't know. They just don't like it. And yeah, Diana does talk about you sometimes. She's not one of my clients, but she comes here with Bats and Supes occasionally. How do you deal with these?"

"With my wings?" Angel asked, totally lost now. How was she supposed to _not_ deal with them...? They were attached... "What do you mean?"

"I sleep on my back so... They'd get in the way. I was about to ask how you know Jake, but you're on his team. How could I not know that? Anyways. We have more food now, did he at least offer you something?" Isara sniffed the air. "JAKE DO I SMELL BACON! DO I. YOU'D BETTER GIVE ME SOME OF THAT OR YOUR BOYFRIEND PRIVILEGES ARE FORFEIT."

Angel stared at Isara, wide-eyed. She couldn't keep up with this girl.

"U-um," she stammered. "Please... don't... separate them? They..." she trailed off. What could she do, really?

"Ohhhhh relax. I've been waiting for him to get a boyfriend since he came out like... Ten years ago. Or... Whenever it was that he came out. It doesn't matter since I called it when he was eight," Isara replied. And with that, the woman had taken off into the kitchen. Angel stayed where she was, totally befuddled. As she headed back towards the kitchen, and the scent of sizzling meat, she realized Isara had never even asked for her name...

She returned to the kitchen just in time for the bacon to be done. She could tell by the scent - it was perfect. Her stomach grumbled noisily, and she blushed. Vegetarian meals... well, Diana _had_ theorized that her race might be carnivorous.

"Another perfect batch," Jake said happily. "The bacon-guru strikes again." Isara had four pieces of bacon dangling out of her mouth.

"Angel come have some!" Isara said. The bacon she had dangling from her mouth just seconds ago was gone.

"O-okay," Angel agreed, walking through the kitchen and taking one. It probably should have been too hot for her to pick up with her bare fingers but... she was called Fever for a reason. The bacon which would have burned a human vanished into her mouth in seconds. "Mm!" she gasped, mouth still full.

"Right? Best invention ever. I couldn't survive without it," Isara said. Shoving more into her mouth. "Jake how much did you even make?"

"... More than necessary," he replied. The bottle of sparkling cider poured another glassful. The glass floated up to Jake's mouth, and he drank from it.

"When did you get that much control?" Isara asked, pointing to the glass. "Oh wait! Poor Angel here doesn't know your back story! We should tell her... Shouldn't we? What do you think, Angel?"

Angel swallowed her bacon, staring at Isara.

"Not... if he doesn't want me to know?" she answered. The thought made her squirm inside. It was a little different, being someone who _had _no back story.

"You don't really have a choice in the matter," Jake said, taking another sip.

"Nah, you really don't. So... Jake started getting his powers around middle school," Isara started.

"Middle school?" Angel repeated curiously.

"The school in-between Elementary and High school," Jake clarified.

"Oh," Angel nodded her understanding and turned back to listen to Isara.

"Well... Okay. So at first, he couldn't control anything. He could just barely make a pencil reach his hands. So he started training, right? He got pretty good after about a year or so. But soon rumours of some guy in Gotham cleaning stuff up reached his ears. Which was of course, Batman. Jake got it into this tiny head that he wanted to be like Batman. So I made him a mask, costume, and something to use as a weapon. He started with sticks. Which worked really well for him. And... Well. He did that for a while. Actually until just a few months ago. I had been working for the League for a couple years at this point, so low and hold my surprise when the big three are here... They mention a team of young heroes that had formed itself. They knew about Jake and what he was doing. And they asked for my consent for them to... Enlist him. Or whatever word Br-I mean Batman used. And... Yeah that's how Sacrifice started!"

"... The loose version," Jake corrected.

Angel blinked slowly. She had never thought that someone's life could be summed up so quickly. She ran the story through in her head, several times. She had questions... she was trying to figure out which was the most important to ask...

Why was Isara raising Jake?

"What happened to your parents?" she asked quietly.

"Oh him? We don't know. _I _never knew him. But my mom died when I was ten," Jake replied nonchalantly. "Isara did, but she won't tell me what happened to him."

"And I regret nothing," she responded to him. Angel hadn't heard the last part of the exchange. She had sunk into her own thoughts once more. Parents... she had never really thought about it before. She had to have them somewhere, right? Were they worried about her?

"Angel? Aaaaangel. Angel?" Jake walked over to her and snapped his fingers in front of her face. "You okay? You were spacing out. For a while, actually." Angel gave Jake a startled look, then smiled slightly, not as bright as usual, but passable.

"I'm fine," she answered. "It's just... y'know..." she shrugged.

"I don't think it's fine... Isara went to work a couple of minutes ago. And you hadn't said a word since," Jake pointed out.

Angel shook her head slightly.

"Really, it's nothing."

"I've been around girls enough to understand girl-speak. Whenever they say 'it's fine' or whatever. It's usually not. In fact it really never is," Jake said.

Angel opened her mouth to deny it, but she had never been good at lying. She closed her mouth again.

"I guess you're right," she conceded quietly.

"So. Why not tell me what's wrong? I mean... I'm no therapist. But I can try, right?"

"I guess... I was just wondering if my parents are looking for me... somewhere," she admitted quietly.

"Well... They've gotta be. But... I'd find it hard to believe that they haven't at least seen you. If... If they're anywhere near a TV they must have seen you as Fever at least once," Jake said to her. "But... I have no idea where you're from and so. They... Might be... Hard to say. But they're definitely worried."

Angel sighed softly. She found it... unlikely... that she had been seen on television by her parents. There were not many winged humans on the planet.

"Part of me hopes they'll find me," she murmured.

"All of me hopes they're at least trying," Jake agreed.

"Part of _me_ doesn't."

"Woah. Why's that?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

Angel glanced at him, her eyes unusually serious.

"Because I don't want to leave all of you," she whispered.

"No one said they'd make you go home... I mean, I'd give anything to see my mom again. But I wouldn't give up the life I have to do it," Jake said. He shifted his eyes down. "This... Is a hot cocoa moment."

"Is it?" Angel laughed. "I wouldn't know."

"Hot cocoa is like an org-it's just amazing. I'll get some started," Jake said. The kettle on the counter near the sink clicked on. Water already having been inside. Two packets of hot cocoa floated out of the pantry, as well as two mugs out of a cabinet. "It's something I absolutely adore. It always makes me feel better. No matter the mood."

Angel giggled.

"Jake," she asked, smiling, "do you ever do anything with your hands?"

"I... Do. Just not when I'm... Okay you know what? Let's just not answer that question," Jake replied. He looked in every direction except Angel's. That only made Angel laugh more. She crossed to his side, reaching out and picking up his hand. She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you, Jake," she smiled.

"Uh. You're welcome?" he squeezed back. "S'what friends are for, right?"

"I suppose it is," she agreed. "But still. Thank you."

"Still don't know how to respond to that... But. Oh look! Water's hot," Jake said. The packets of cocoa poured themselves into the mugs, and the kettle added it's water.

"Oh good," Angel released his hand.

"Seriously, you are gonna love this stuff. Chocolatey goodness in liquid form," Jake laughed softly. Spoons flew out of the silverware drawer and began stirring their drinks. Then the drinks made their way over to the two waiting teenagers. Angel hesitated before grabbing hers out of the air. She sniffed at the hot drink.

"It... smells like chocolate," she commented, simply because she could think of nothing else to say.

"Well it is hot-chocolate. Sort of. More like chocolate powder with... Stuff in it," Jake said. He grabbed his mug and held it out to Angel. "To... New friends?"

Angel tapped her mug lightly against Jake's.

"To new friends."

He hovered in the background, perched upon a picket fence separating the building from the street. He sat with his legs swinging, watching through the kitchen window of Cassidy's first-floor apartment. She'd been there since noon, sitting at the table with an empty tub of ice-cream and her homework laid out on the table. Gavin had to admire the way her hair shown, just barely red, in the sunlight that slanted through the window. Especially in the late afternoon. It hit her just, _just_ right...

With a soft, disgusted noise at the back of his throat, he turned his eyes away from the human girl. One hand ventured up his back to scratch absentmindedly at the rough scars on his shoulder-blades. Reminders of his duty. He'd been sent here with a job to do. There was no time for play with human girls. At least... not _too_ much time. Huffing once more he turned his eyes back on Cassidy. The sight of her made his blood boil. In several ways.

There was no denying that Cassidy was an attractive girl. Perhaps that was what Angel saw in her - it was not unheard of in the Oververse. Females falling in love with other females, males with other males. It was a frequency among the priests, in fact. Gavin himself had dabbled in the various versions of love. Na'shak had been an entertaining puppet, until he had discovered his love for his childhood friend. Well, that was why Gavin was here, wasn't it? Certainly, the priests had sent him to retrieve her... but deep down he knew he really wanted to rip her wings from her back, tear the skin from her flesh, and watch her bleed. Maybe scream a little bit... just a little. He laughed at the thought.

Within the house, Cassidy closed her book and laid her pencil down. Gavin unfolded from the fence, dropping lightly into the small community garden surrounded by the picket fence. A stand of daffodils crunched beneath his feet. He strode ankle-deep through the flowers, kicked away their tickling leaves, and moved to stand at the dead center of the garden. He stared, unwavering through the square of golden light, at the girl with sun-kissed hair.

Cassidy gathered her dishes carefully, wincing at the low chink of glass on ceramics. She glanced nervously up the stairs, praying the tiny sounds would not wake her sleeping parents. The last thing she needed after a hard day at school was a lecture from an angry father. Walking on the tips of her toes she slipped over to the sink and laid her dishes down inside it. The evening light caught on a spoon and blinded her. She hissed quietly, throwing one hand over her eyes and turning away from the metal utensil.

She looked out into the garden, expecting nothing more than the picket fence and the silhouettes of low shrubs. She found eyes. He watched her from within her fences, backlit, his face obscured in shadow. He watched her every movement with eyes that she could feel more than see, tracing even the slightest shift in her weight. Predatory. Nothing but a standing shadow, yet she shivered in his gaze, chills trickling down her spine to pool as tension in her lower back. She swallowed tightly and rocked back on her heels, staring through the window. The sun hit the horizon and flared scarlet through the glass. He took a step forwards.

Cassidy did not wait to see where the slender silhouette would go, what he would do. She spun on one heel and bolted up the stairs, waking her parents as she passed, sneakers pounding on the rickety wood of the staircase. She slammed her door behind her and threw herself onto her bed, shaking. Irrational fear gripped her and prevented her from raising her face and look around her room. She sought no comfort from her surroundings now, only the illusory protection of the pillow crushed to her face.

For a long time, she stayed that way. By the time Cassidy raised her head the sun had already set, the world had already descended into shadow. The trembling faded from her arms and legs, her heartbeat slowed to a healthy pace, and weakly, she sat up. Her parents bickered loudly in the next room over, angry at each other because her running had roused them. They would be this way for hours.

Sucking in a long, soothing breath, Cassidy pushed her hair off of her shoulder. She pulled her knees up to her chest, seeking warmth, and propped her chin up. Staring at the wall across the room from her, Cassidy began to wonder whether that silhouette had even existed. The misshapen shadow of a bush, perhaps - her father's most recent gardening project gone wrong. Stranger things had happened in her father's house. Perhaps she had seen nothing more than a badly trimmed shrub-

She froze, listening. A light tap, like a pebble on glass. There it was again. Sharp, barely audible over her own heavy breathing. At least, it had been. Now she had stopped breathing altogether. Every inch of her went stiff. She had to fight to turn towards the noise. She didn't want to see that _thing_, didn't want to know its face. She didn't want to... but her neck twisted of its own accord, turning her head, out of her control.

He sat perched upon her windowsill, balancing on the railing on the toes of his shoes, tapping the glass with a nail as hard as stone. She could see no eyes to his face, obscured in thick black cloth. She curled in on herself, shuddering, unable to scream as he sat there, tapping a beat out upon her window. Grinning.

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><p><strong>AN: Nightmares. I'll be having them. So! What did you think? We got some Angel details, Gavin details, and a look into Cassidy's life! Next chapter takes place during Homefront. Attack by the red androids! We'll also finally get Jake's plotline moving. So you can look forward to that. So... Until next time! And also... REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. We tell you this every time and only two of you bother two. THANK YOU Chupito13 and Rocketfire1999 for being so awesome. The rest of you...? Well. We don't know because we haven't HEARD FROM YOU. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey there! This chapter takes place during Episode 12 of the show. How fitting, right? I know it's perfect. But this chapter is actually pretty serious. We did into Jake's plot, and his story finally gets going. I was originally gonna have Jake and Conner just be the relationship drama, and have Angel get all the plot... But this chapter changed that. Jake gets one too, and it's not a happy one. Let's just say that. So. Without further or do... HERE YOU GO!**

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><p>Jake bolted upright in his bed. He was sweating and panting. The dreams were getting worse. But what did they mean? He just didn't understand. In every last one of these nightmares, he would always die in the end. It didn't make any sense. Was he discovering some weird powers that were stored within him? Oh god he really hoped not. Jake roughly shook his head. He had to get rid of these awful thoughts somehow.<p>

"Jake. Jake are you awake? Angel's here to... Escort you to the cave I guess. She's waiting in the kitchen," Isara said from behind his door. Then he heard her footsteps walking away. Well, at least he'd have someone to cheer him up. She'd been showing up an awful lot lately. Not like he didn't enjoy the company. He just got a boyfriend, and then he was sent away on a multiple-day mission. Jake supposed this is how wives of men in the army felt. Well... Sort of.

Jake slowly got off his bed. He was expecting a mission today. Which was why he should go dressed in his "Sacrifice" garb. He sighed. He yawned as he did his morning stretches. Guess he was missing school again. Not that he minded. School was a cancer in his life anyways. His sacrifice uniform slowly began to assemble itself from around the room. His black pants came first. He slowly put them on, not really in a particular rush. Sure Angel was waiting for him, but it's not like she couldn't be patient.  
>Next came his extremely navy-blue shirt. Nearly passed as black. Only it wasn't. He slipped that on next. Next came the cape, the gloves, and his boots. His amazing combat boots that he absolutely adored. He laced them up with care. Then came the mask. The black outlined mask, with white centers. Extremely similar to Roy's mask.<p>

"Now for my babies," he said to himself. He turned to his closet. And his two blades flew out of the closet and into his hands. He loved these things. Oh wait, he forgot his belt. His belt came floating up into his grasp from underneath his bed. He fastened it around his waist, and then attached his swords to it. Alright. Now to check in the mirror. He ventured over to it, and and checked himself out. He still had bed-head. Oh well. Not like he had a style for it anyways. He ran his hand through it a couple of times, and it seemed to style itself. Spiked a little at the front. It just... Did that.

He let his head fall slightly. Those dreams really did bug him. Maybe that's why the name Sacrifice popped into his head when he needed a name. He always died in the end of them. He started having flashbacks of the most recent dream. It wasn't the worst, but it definitely was the most real. He closed his eyes as the sounds of explosions and screaming rang through his head repeatedly.

"Jake?" Angel's voice sounded from the hallway beyond. "Are you... alright?" Jake's head snapped up. Right. Now was not the time for this. He shook his head and left his room. And hopefully the last thoughts of those terrible dreams behind.

"Yeah! Right here," Jake said as he trudged down the stairs. "Sorry to keep you."

Standing in the hallway at the base of the stairs, Angel laughed and shook her head.

"That's alright," she answered. "Did you sleep well?" The question bothered Jake more than it should have.

"Uhhh, yeah! I did. You?"

"Yup!" Angel grinned at him. "You haven't eaten yet. You should do that..."

"Ehh I'll just grab a couple handfuls of something and be fine," Jake replied. "Accompany me to the kitchen?"

Angel nodded her agreement and fell into step beside him. The two of them made it to the kitchen quickly. The pantry door swung open, and a box of cheez-its flew out to meet Jake's hand. He looked satisfied. Perfect breakfast and comfort food. They made their way to the basement, through the secret basement, and into the zeta beam.

"**Recognized: Sacrifice B-08, Fever B-09.**" The computer announced their arrival. Jake was happily munching on his box of cheez-its. Well, at least Conner came back today. That was something to look forward to. He did desperately miss the SuperTeddyBear. Well... Boyfriend. Both worked.

"Hey guys. What's up? Anything new?" M'gann said as she floated over to them.

"Not really?" Angel laughed, pushing back a stream of her tawny hair. " Jake grinned. If M'gann was here... That meant Conner was back.

"Hey, M'gann? Did you see where Conner went?" Jake asked out of the blue.

"Uhhh yeah. He went to his room," M'gann answered. There was the slightest hint of blush on her green cheeks. Jake was puzzled over the for a minute, but decided that it didn't matter. He took off for Conner's room.

"I'll see you guys in a bit!" He said as he waved. He didn't wait for a reply. He was moving very eagerly towards his boyfriend's room. He couldn't wait to see him. He saw Conner's room approaching, so he picked up his pace. He skidded to a halt in front of the door. He knocked several times.

"It's open," Conner called from inside. Jake touched the pad on the side, and the door opened. He stepped inside softly. Jake blushed slightly at the sight. Conner was sitting there on his bed, shirtless, combing the last of the blonde out of his hair. Jake had seen the Superboy shirtless plenty of times before, but now it felt... Different, but in the best way possible.

"Hey you," Jake said as the door closed behind him. He put his box of cheez-its down softly. He leaned against it, smiling. Conner looked up at him, and instantly smiled.

"Jake," he said. Conner got to his feet and walked over. Jake took his mask off and lightly tossed it onto the floor. The two shared a warm embrace. Jake was smiling so widely he was sure his face would stick that way. He started giggling a little, to make things worse. He was such a sap.

"How'd it go?" Jake asked as he kissed Conner. There was a slight hesitation on Conner's end, but soon it was returned. Jake thought it was weird, but then decided to just let it go.

"Less talk," Conner replied. He had broken the kiss for air, but went right back in for more. Jake wasn't complaining. Jake wasn't complaining in the slightest. He let his hands rest on Conner's broad and _very much shirtless_ shoulders. Jake broke the kiss.

"You're more clingy than I am," Jake laughed. Conner just kept smiling at him. Well. He never showed his teeth when smiling, but Jake could see the happy was there. "C'mon, let's go do something." Conner pouted slightly.

"Fine," he grumbled. Jake thought that was adorable. "Can we work on my bike?" Jake blinked. He still worked on that thing? Well... Jake did have a thing for boys on motorcycles. Which was... Just yes.

"Sure," Jake said. Conner grabbed a shirt off the floor of his room and pulled it over his head. He then grabbed a box of tools and slung it over his shoulder. Jake lightly reached out for the Superboy's hand, and his mask floated off the ground and replaced itself over his eyes. His invitation was accepted, and Conner intertwined their fingers. "Okay, let's go."

Conner ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly on the way there, and Jake couldn't help but think he looked like a supermodel. The journey to the bike took no time. Conner's room was rather close to it. Once they got to it, it was obvious that Conner did not have working on it really in mind. Conner lightly placed the tool box on the ground, and turned to Jake.

Jake was quickly enveloped into a standing up make-out session. Still not complaining. Jake wasn't sure what had come over Conner. Because, he was sure the Superboy did not want their relationship or his sexuality to be known yet. But, Jake would let Conner figure that out for himself. The kiss had no end in sight. Jake placed his hand on to his boyfriend's very nice chest., and Conner responded by wrapping his arms around Jake's waist. He was about to deepen the kiss even further when Sphere rolled up in between them. The two had to separate because of the intrusion. Jake laughed a little.

"Someone's jealous," he said. Conner looked over at him.

"Maybe... Or maybe," Conner started, but was soon interrupted.

"Hey guys!" Wally said, as he walked over to them. He had on his Kid Flash outfit, and a sandwich in his hand. That reminded Jake that he had left his cheez-its back in Conner's room. He'd have to go get those. "You two sure spend a lot of time workin' on his bike. Obviously you need the Wall-man's expert help." Jake and Conner looked at each other, before deciding to pet Sphere.

"We were uh... Just being lazy I guess," Jake said. Wally went over and kneeled on the side of the bike. M'gann and Angel joined them as well. Jake noticed that Conner looked a little unnerved at M'gann's presence.  
>"Door wrench," Wally said. M'gann used her telekinesis to move the object over to Wally.<p>

"Thaaaank you green cheeks!" he said happily. Then he went back to work. That was when Kaldur joined them as well.

"I have been meaning to ask. Any problem juggling school work, with your responsibilities here?" he asked.

"Nope," Conner replied flatly. He looked frustrated that he couldn't continue his earlier activity. Jake would be lying if he said wasn't as well.

"Nada," Jake replied.

"Juggling is just _one_ of my many talents. Socket wrench," Wally said as he looked over at M'gann. The tool floated over to him.

"Daily cheerleading practice has presented a challenge. Oh! But my first loyalty is always to the team. _This_ team, not the bumblebees," M'gann said, turning to Kaldur.

"Artemis starts school today. Do you think _she_ will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?" Kaldur asked carefully. Jake frowned at that.

"I don't think so. She can handle it," Jake said.

"I think she'll be fine," Angel agreed quietly, moving over to peer at what Wally was doing.

"Nah, she'll manage alright. I mean, how much more hostile and annoying could she-" Wally didn't get to finish because the wall next to them suddenly exploded inward. The team sprang into action. Suddenly water from seemingly nowhere shot violently at them. Soaked everyone to their core, but that was the least of their worries.

"What the hell?" Jake exclaimed. Angel took off without having to think about it, wings beating hard, lifting her off the ground to get a better look at... whatever it was which was attacking them. At least, she hoped she would get a better look. She didn't. Conner and Wally were charging side by side, before being rooted to the ground by a concrete like material. Not even Wally knew what it was. They both tried desperately to escape, but it had quickly taken over their entire bodies. They couldn't move.

M'gann and Kaldur were moving to higher ground, but were ambushed by fire. Soon after they were being held in a cage made of said fire. Both were extremely weakened by it, and couldn't even stand. M'gann was doing worse than Kaldur, so he supported her against himself.

Jake and Angel were the only ones left. Jake saw what was attacking them. Two red androids that looked like sleeker versions of Red Tornado were after them. Jake's swords swung violently at them. They had no effect, and were sent flying to a distance that was out of his range. Jake was knocked to the ground by the same material that was holding Wally and Conner. It bound his legs first, then slowly creeped up his torso. He started to scream, but his voice had abandoned him. He was claustrophobic, but that fear almost never manifested. Conner thrashed violently against his hold, trying to rescue Jake. But he couldn't escape. Jake was covered up to his neck, and then the material slowed drastically. Now it was merely creeping.

Angel was the only one left. She hovered aboveground, wings beating at the same frantic pace as her heart. These things... what were they? Not Red Tornado. Surely not something like him? He was their friend, their ally... wasn't he? She could never be sure, could she? He _was_ a robot...

Panicked, her eyes flashed between her teammates. Conner was was frantically looking at Jake, and still violently thrashing against his imprisonment. Wally to a lesser extent. M'gann was faint, Kaldur trying desperately to support her despite being weak himself. They were the only two she had a chance of saving. The fire wouldn't hurt her... not as much as it would the others. And she had no chance of breaking the cement.

Sucking in a desperate breath, Angel folded her wings and dove. Twenty meters... fifteen meters...

She never reached them. Something caught in her wing, threw her up against the wall. For a moment she hung there, stunned, before she realized that she was, in fact, hanging. She glanced wildly behind her. Cement, holding her wings fast to the wall, slowly growing. With awareness came pain, the joints of her wings straining against her spine, pulling away. Terror gripped her as she realized how easy it would be to tear her wings away from the rest of her body. She started to scream.

The team was down. It happened in seconds. Mere seconds for six super-powered teenagers to go down. Four of them being effectively subdued, with only Wally and Conner still able to struggle.

"Jake!" Conner screamed. Jake's eyes were wide with fear, he was barely able to move without feeling how small the space really was. Just enough to be suffocating without being skin-tight. The cement-like material very slowly creeping up his neck, which attacked his already present anxiety. He was terrified. The Reds didn't seem to do anything more. They were simply standing guard. Waiting almost. But waiting for what? Or who?

"**Recognized: Robin B-01,**" The computer announced. He dressed in his costume, and was wearing his normal smirk. Until he heard Angel's screams. He was tipped off, just as fire shot at him. "**Recognized: Artemis B-07.**"

"Get down!" Robin yelled over at her. She narrowly avoided a fire bolt. The two disappeared into smoke. They did not see the rest of the team. Angel shuddered and fell silent, out of breath and too frightened to move. Even with the movement of breathing she could feel her wings strain, begin to tear away. The Reds vanished from the room to pursue Robin and Artemis.

"Ugh, man! This is **so** not cool!" Wally said. He was straining against this prison, but it was in vain. Conner couldn't stand to watch Jake look so terrified. Was Jake claustrophobic? He must be, from his reaction.

"Jake! Jake answer me!" Conner yelled again. Jake shoved his panic for the side just enough to answer his lover. Hopefully his voice had come back to him.

"Yeah! Yeah. I'm... I'm okay," Jake managed to say. He was shaking. He couldn't move, but this was a good opportunity to see who was... Still alive. "Angel! Angel, are you okay? Can anyone see her?" He got no response from her.

"I can. She's... Oh, dude. She's hanging from her wings... About twenty meters up," Wally replied. He sounded horrified. Angel wasn't moving, holding every muscle stiff and still and praying desperately that gravity alone would not be enough to de-wing her.

"What about," Jake started. He let another violent shiver pass through him. "M'gann and Kaldur?"

"M'gann is not conscious. I am just barely holding on as well," Kaldur said from his fire-prison.

"At least we're all alive," Wally said thankfully. Conner wasn't satisfied.

"Have... To get... Out of this!" He said loudly. He clearly was not going to give up. Jake knew the fact that Conner was so protective of him was what kept him from losing his shit completely.

"**Attention: Robin. Attention: Artemis. You have exactly ten minutes to surrender. Or the lives your teammates will be extinguished,**" a robotic voice said over the speaker. Suddenly both the Reds had come back. The one with fire floated over to Kaldur and M'gann, and caused the flames to flare. The one that controlled the water appeared from the pool it had created. It began to flood more of the base, which put Wally and Conner in chest deep water. Then it proceeded to cause Jake's prison to increase to the point where it covered his neck, but the extremely slow creeping still progressed. There was no need to modify Angel's prison - the pain at her shoulders slowly, steadily increased as the sinews joining her wings to her body strained. "**Nine minutes, and forty-five seconds.**" The water one, who was the one speaking disappeared again.

Jake was now losing his shit. He was in a full on panic. His eyes were wide, and darting in nearly direction. He had to get out of this. But how? If a Kryptonian couldn't, how was he supposed to? He couldn't move without being reminded of how small a space he was in. Ever since he had discovered his powers, he'd hated small spaces. With a passion. He was distracted when he heard the sound of water splashing and heavy panting. Robin and Artemis.

"Look out!" Jake called. He couldn't see Robin or Artemis, but he could see Wally and Conner. But then he saw both of them shoot up for air right next to Wally.

"You guys okay?" Robin said quietly to them.

"Forget us! Help Jake!" Conner replied. Robin looked over at Jake to see his face riddled with fear and panic. He then looked up at Angel to see nearly the same expression, only with pain in the mix too. Artemis was focused on helping M'gann.

"Aqualad! Is she...?" Artemis asked.

"She is unconscious. I fear she-we, cannot survive much longer," he answered. The fire android spotted them, and shot more fire. Robin and Artemis plunged, avoiding the attack. Wally and Conner turned their faces away from the splash. Jake lost sight of the two but could hear them somewhere behind him. But he did see a bird-a-rang narrowly miss Wally's head and embed itself into the cement. Jake was beginning to give up. Artemis and Robin were really talented and skilled sure, but would they really be able to save everyone?

"**Six minutes,**" the voice said again. Jake hopelessly looked over at Conner. Hoping for some comfort. He made eye-contact with his lover and Conner's eyes were frantic but determined.

"Jake. Please. Calm down. Please," Conner said. He was failing at using a calm voice. But it did calm down Jake.

"Angel! Angel, are you conscious?" Wally yelled up to her. High overhead, Angel stirred, and cried out in pain when it pulled on her wings. She did not answer Wally... but she was, unfortunately, conscious. "Take that as a yes."

"Jake. I am going to save you. Just stay with me, dammit!" Conner yelled again. Jake stared back at him.

"I'm... Trying. I just... Really hate tight spaces," Jake managed to get out.

"Totaaly doable!" Wally suddenly said. The teammates that could looked at him. He was talking to the bird-a-rang that was right next to his head.

"**Five minutes,**" the voice interrupted.

"You know if... You had more time," Wally said. But suddenly he looked determined. "Med lab, X-ray machine. You'll find a small vacuum tube called a Vircator that converts high-energy pulses. Reprogram the unit's microwave conversion from x-rays to EMPs, with a cascading energy vector directed outward." Wally looked proud of himself. Conner looked beyond confused. "A stone with ten to the twelfth power wattage, yeah."

The water was up to Wally and Conner's neck now. The flames around M'gann and Kaldur were much larger than originally, and Jake's prison was at his eyes. Angel was crying now, barely holding on to consciousness and looking like she wished she weren't holding on at all. The reds returned.

"**4 minutes,**" the voice set yet again. Wally suddenly turned towards the androids.

"Hey! Red _Tomato_! Who's your girlfriend? Red Onion?" Wally taunted.

"Yeah! And by the way, worst death trap ever! We can escape anytime we want!" Conner joined in.

"I can vibrate my molecules outta here before your _binary _brains can count to two!"

"And you can't drown a kryptonian dumb-bots! We don't breathe air!" Wally started laughing at Conner's taunts. Jake was confused. This must be a distraction for something.

"And Miss Martian? I can't believe you're buying her act!"

"Yeah! Do you know how hot it gets in the caves of Mars? That cage is just making her homesick!" Wally laughed at Conner's taunt again.

"Robin look out!" Artemis suddenly called. Jake heard the sound of water violently moving. But then he saw Robin's motionless body being carried in water.

"No..." Jake said softly. He really hoped they didn't get Artemis. He didn't know if they had a chance or not. It was probably the most stressful situation they'd ever been in.

"**Three minutes,**" the voice said again.

"C'moooon Artemis!" Wally said. Conner had returned his attention to Jake. Jake was calmer, but not by much. Jake could no longer see anyone. And he could barely breathe. He could just barely hear Conner calling for him, before his prison sealed up completely. It was dark. Pitched dark. He was panting, but his breaths were getting shallower and shallower. Jake managed to take one final breath, before he realized that was the last of the oxygen. He held onto it.

"**One minute,**" Conner was frantic. He couldn't see Jake. He couldn't see him. Couldn't tell if the... Cocoon prison was sealed or not. Because he knew once it was, Jake wouldn't be able to breathe. The water was about to go over his head, too. And it did, just as he heard the main entrance to the room open. He closed his eyes under the water. Hoping, desperately hoping for someone to save Jake.

That's when a light so bright he could see it through his eyelids flashed. What the hell was that? Soon after he saw it, the water around them drained. Were the reds defeated? They had to be.

"Kaldur! How's M'gann?" Wally asked.

"She breaths! I believe she will recover. What of Robin?" Kaldur asked.

"He-He's breathing, too!" Artemis answered.

"Somebody save Jake! He can't breathe in there!" Conner shouted.

"And Angel's wings might rip out!" Artemis added. Robin sprang to his feet.

"Crap. How did we break that stuff?" Robin said. "Maybe at least I can give him an air-hole or two." Robin leapt over to where Jake was cocooned. He grabbed a bird-a-rang from his belt and started hacking at the cement. He got a small crevice to open up, but his bird-a-rang broke after that. That tiny hole would have to do.

"Shit. Is that all we can do?" Wally asked. He turned to Artemis who had come down to his side. She was carrying a machine that resembled a canon of some sort. "Will you stop playing with that thing and cut us free already?"

"It isn't working genius. EMPs shut down _all machines_ remember?" She replied.

"All machines present at the time," Red Tornado answered. He landed in the group. "What has occurred?"

"Had a little visit from your family," Robin said suspiciously.

"Your extremely _nasty_ family," Artemis added.

"I was not aware I had relations," Red Tornado replied.

"Where have you been?" Conner asked with a bite in his tone.

"When it became clear cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate. But your zeta-tubes were also non-functional. I transported to providence and proceeded here,"

Sphere suddenly awoke, and rolled over to Conner.

"Hey boy," he replied tiredly. He was still worried to death about Jake, but he could not escape no matter how hard he tried. Suddenly the laser-canon Artemis was holding activated. Wally and Robin gasped and looked at each other.

"The pulse has worn off!" They said simultaneously. They looked over at Red Tornado as he was leaning over the two other androids. He was about to make contact when he suddenly returned to a standing position. Bright red was glowing from his eyes. He turned to face the team, and suddenly took off into the air. He created a wind vortex that had everyone suffocating. The team began to pass out one by one. Even Conner. They had lost.

"What happened here?" Superman asked Artemis when she regained consciousness.

"What happened? The reds happened!" Artemis yelled. "Tornado and his- wait! Where are they?"

"Gone. All three of 'em. Gone," Robin replied. Superman took off into the air to go free Angel from her torment. He stopped right in front of the girl, and used his heat-vision to melt the concrete-like material off of her wings. When she was free, Superman caught her in his arms.

"Are you alright, Angel?" he asked softly. Angel flinched slightly as her wing bumped against his arm, but nodded."She's alright, too." Superman called out.

"Alright, I got this one free," Captain Atom said. He had just freed Jake. "He's not breathing," Conner's eyes bulged out of his head. He was thrashing even more violently than before.

"NO! NO! GODAMMIT GET ME OUT OF HERE!" he screamed. The rest of the team was in shock. There was no way Jake could have died. It just wasn't possible.

Angel twisted around in Superman's arms, seeking the others. Her eyes fell on Jake.

"No," she whispered, then turned wildly to the man who had now saved her twice. "I can help him!"

"Okay," Superman said calmly. He brought her down to Jake's side quickly. "She can help."

Angel scrambled hastily out of Superman's arms, adrenaline forcing her to forget the wrenching pain from her wing. She dropped to her knees beside Jake, raising her hands and laying them carefully across his mouth. No stirring of breath. But there would be.

Pleasant heat travelled down her arms, radiating from her palms. Healing, soothing. She had used it many times on missions, to heal the others. She had never used it before on someone who was dead. At least, not that she could remember. And yet she was sure that it would work. An echo, perhaps, from a past which was lost to her. She stared at Jake's face, utterly focused, breathing steadily and willing him to do the same. Waiting.

Jake began to cough. He slowly opened his eyes. He saw Angel looking down at him. Did she save his life?

Angel gasped quietly in relief and flopped backwards, beyond exhausted.

"Jake! JAKE! Is he breathing? Is he alive?" Conner asked frantically.

"Yeah, I'm alive. Eww I'm all sweaty," Jake coughed. Captain Atom freed Conner. Conner rushed over to Jake, and got on his knees next to him. He slowly lifted Jake so that the boy's head was leaning against his chest. The rest of the team was watching the whole ordeal.

"Jake," he said relieved. Jake sighed against Conner's chest.

"I'm okay now. I'm just," Jake coughed again. "A bit tired is all."

"I'm never letting anything like that happen again. I promise," Conner said. Jake somehow wasn't comforted by that. In fact it bugged him. Jake had another dream while he was... Whatever had happened to him. Except this time. He found it much more real than even the one he'd had earlier that day. He didn't know what they meant. But since this one seemed so much more real... Did that mean he had died today? Even for a short while, a death is a death.

"Yeah," Jake said. Conner hugged him tightly. Jake just stayed still, too deep in thought about what had happened and what was to come. He noticed everyone else in the room didn't seem to be paying them any particular attention. So Conner's secret would stay a secret... At least for now. Jake felt himself being lifted up. He felt lips on his own. He kissed Conner back, with a lot more force than he had planned to. Those dreams could only mean one thing.

He was going to die.

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><p><strong>AN: So. What do you think? Getting pretty serious. Alright. I'm just going to go ahead and tell you, about when we tackle Failsafe. That is not going to be an easy one to deal with. I promise you. It'll be the longest one yet, since it won't just be one person's POV. It'll be switching. So look forward to that one. So. What do you think of Jake's storyline? That's only now just starting... 12 chapters in... Ehem. Anyways. PLEASE let me know by leaving a review. Seriously guys. Review. I need to hear feedback. Do you want a happy ending or a sad ending to the story? Sequel or no sequel? LET ME KNOW IN THE REVIEW SECTION. **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: HEY! Sorry for the wait. Okay. So this is the LONGEST chapter we've written yet. It's over 10,000 words long. And though it is quite impressive in length, it's... Very important. Everything that happens in this chapter matters. It's also... The _darkest_ chapter yet. In what is only to become an even darker tale. TRIGGER WARNINGS: Very graphic descriptions of torture, gore, and violence. If that is not something you're into, you should not read that part. Characters involved in this chapter, Cassidy and Gavin. ENJOY!**

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><p>Once again, the wind whipped through Angel's hair, filling her wings as though trying to drag her off the rooftop where she sat. It had no chance, this time. She kept her wings folded tight to her back, leaning her elbows on her knees as she stared out across the cityscape. Gavin sat nearby - she could feel his eyes on the back of her head, those eyes she had never seen, pensive and prying. She almost fancied he could read her mind. But that was ridiculous.<p>

For that, at least, she could be grateful. If he could have seen what was happening in her head just then... she would probably have had to hand him over to Batman. There were too many secrets buried in her thoughts, too many unanswered questions and memories of the chaos which had struck the Justice League. Red Tornado... she would never have imagined that the robot would be the one to betray them all.

The one to betray? Now where had that come from? Had she been _expecting_ someone to turn against them? No... no, she had never been that much of a cynic. Had she? Somewhere inside her, something smirked at her. It made her squirm, looking into her own mind and seeing that smile there. It couldn't belong to her... could it?

"Is something wrong, little hero?" Gavin's voice sounded close to her ear, and Angel jumped, nearly pitching forwards over the edge of the roof. He laid one thin hand on her shoulder, steadying her.

"Nothing," she answered a little too quickly. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I just... I don't know. I feel weird."

Gavin's fingers squeezed in her shoulder, a gesture meant for comfort. It hurt too much.

"Sick?" he asked in an oddly pleasant tone. Angel shook her head. "Conflicted?" Something in her face must have answered for her, because Gavin hardly paused for breath before continuing. "Like a second side of you is peeking out through the shadows?"

Slowly, Angel nodded. That maniac grin split Gavin's face once again, straight up through his cheeks, beyond natural. He leaned in close to her, teeth unusually bright in the morning sun. She shrank away internally, but his hand held her body still.

"Those... are your memories," he whispered.

"My memories?" Angel asked. Her voice broke. He nodded and pulled away. The sunlight hit her straight on from where his head had been, blinding her, and she threw her hands up to block out the light.

"Your former self, struggling for a foothold," he whispered. His voice was getting further away. She rubbed the light out of her eyes. "Embrace her, little hero. She is you."

"But how can I?" she asked, almost desperate, spinning around only to find that Gavin had gone. She stood there, balanced on a slant of shingles, staring at the spot where Gavin had just been. She could not understand how he did it, wingless human that he was. It felt as though the world simply twisted itself around him. Where he wished to be, he was. When he wished to be gone, the universe came to snatch him up once more.

Angel sighed and ran a hand against the ridge of her left wing, straightening out a row of feathers ruffled by the wind. The team would wonder where she had gone. It wasn't natural, in the wake of an attack, for the healer to vanish. She had needed a rest, some time apart from the others, to think. That time was over now, and though she could still feel that second pair of eyes squirming about inside of her, she needed to return to the cave.

A particularly brisk wind swept up from the east, and Angel turned into it. Drawing a deep breath, she opened her wings and let the breeze snatch her straight off of the roof, carrying her nearly fifty feet up and back before she could tilt her wings and catch its current, bring it under her command. Spreading her feathers to build as much lift as she could, Angel soared away towards home.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

Angel hardly heard the computer's voice as she strode out of the zeta beam and into what she had hoped would be a calm, welcoming atmosphere. She was beginning to realize just how often her hopes were disappointed. The air crackled with tension, nearly solid, difficult to breathe in its intensity. Something had happened. Something arguably worse that Red Tornado's betrayal. The cave was abandoned. At least mostly.

Frowning, she strode across the empty floor to where Kaldur stood, staring down the hall in the direction of the bioship. He looked tense.

"Kaldur?" she called quietly. She scanned the area quickly, but there were no signs of intruders. "Where is everyone?"

"Angel," he started, but then he shook his head softly. "We have a mission."

Angel blinked slowly, then smiled to herself. That must be it. Not tension, excitement. The tea was always happy to get something to do. That must be it. She wished she could believe her own reasoning.

"So... let's go?" she suggested quietly, beckoning to him, wondering anxiously to herself why he had not left _with_ the others.

"Yes. Let us proceed," Kaldur responded.

The bioship Angel walked into was not the pleasant atmosphere with which she was familiar. The same tension as had filled the air outside crackled here. She could not believe some of the looks which were shot at Kaldur as he climbed in. What on earth had happened...?

Feeling almost nervous, though this was her team and that was the last thing she should have been feeling, Angel moved to stand at the back, close to M'gann. The Martian always made her feel safer... that was what it meant to have a friend. She bit her lip, glancing at M'gann, too wary to ask what had happened. Everyone just seemed so angry.

"So..." she whispered. "What... are we... what's the mission?"

"We're headed to India... To investigate some attacks by... A gorilla," M'gann answered.

"A... gorilla?" Angel repeated doubtfully. But then... it was not exactly the strangest thing the team had seen. "Um... who did the gorilla attack?"

"Apparently multiple people. There's been a series of them, and that's why Batman sent us," Jake chimed in.

"To fight a gorilla?" Angel pressed, nonplused. Wasn't that a job for animal control?

"Maybe it's under some form of mind control or something," Wally mused.

"But..." Angel started, then shook her head. Whatever. Who was she to question the great, undefeatable Batman? Her own thoughts brought a frown to her face. She thought of him scornfully? Since when? "So... do we... um... have a plan?"

"We will review when we arrive at our destination," Kaldur responded.

"... Okay," Angel agreed, and lapsed into silence.

Apparently nobody wanted to talk. Which made the ride to India very, _very_ long. It was with relief that Angel saw the thick jungles drawing near to them. Finally, something to do _other_ than stand around and stare at the walls of the bioship. Honestly, _what_ had possessed this band of idiots?

Idiots?

There was no conversation as Artemis and Robin rose to make their moves, leaping first from the bioship. Angel shifted restlessly, eager to get a move on. Confusion swirled in her head, made it difficult to sit still, made her eager to go find something to beat on. That was, in part, the cause of her confusion.

The bioship landed silently, and the team piled out into the jungle clearing. Angel opened her wings, beating them lightly. She felt the blood flow fresh through her muscles, warming them for the flight. Her heart began to race with an unfamiliar battle-lust. Not a feeling which belonged to her.

"All clear!" Robin announced.

"Switch to stealth, and we'll review mission parameters," Kaldur said.

"Parameters? We don't need no stinking parameters," Wally replied, turning his costume to stealth mode.

"It's _recon_ we know what to do," Robin agreed. Wally and Robin turned to leave.

"Kid, Robin," Kaldur started. Robin stopped and turned around.

"The three of us started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from _us," _Robin said.

"Or did you forget that, like you forgot to tell us about the mole," Wally agreed. The two sped off.

"C'mon, I'll keep you safe," Conner whispered. He lightly grabbed Jake's arm. Jake tore it away.

"You're my boyfriend Conner, not my keeper. Stop behaving like a character from a seventies sitcom," Jake replied a little louder.

"I... Just want to protect you," Conner said defensively. Artemis charged over.

"Like Aqualad protected us? I'm not sure your protection or your _patronizing _is good for our health," Artemis said. She stormed off with M'gann in tow. Jake stayed behind, looking a little shocked. Conner turned to Kaldur.

"Why didn't you stop them? You're supposed to be in charge!" Conner yelled.

"I am-," Kaldur started. Conner held out a hand to stop him. He scooped Jake up into his arms, and took off.

"Ummm... Did I miss the part where you actually _said_ what the plan was?" Captain Marvel asked Kaldur. Kaldur merely sighed in response. For one long moment, Angel stood in stunned silence, before she found the strength to turn to Kaldur.

"What... mole?" she whispered. Kaldur and Captain Marvel looked at each other.

"I received a tip that there might be a traitor on the team. I did not think it best to tell the team because I did not wish to 'tip off' the mole. As it would appear, Red Tornado was the mole. But whether or not he betrayed us of his own will, or he was pre-programed to do so... Remains at large," Kaldur answered.

Angel glanced away, through the trees where Robin and Wally had disappeared.

"And they're angry because you didn't tell them," she observed quietly. Her wings stirred up a slight wind as they stretched further, extending nearly to their full eighteen feet.

"That is correct," Kaldur hung his head lightly. Angel gazed at Kaldur for a moment, pensive, then moved to stand closer to his side, folding her wings to narrow the distance.

"I think you did the right thing," she told him quietly. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Kaldur replied. He smiled at her softly. Angel returned his smile, gesturing towards the woods.

"Lead the way."

Kaldur turned and dashed off into the brush. Angel waited, gave him a head start, and then her wings pushed down upon the air and heaved her towards the treetops. The jungle seemed unnaturally quiet as she soared through the canopy, keeping Kaldur carefully in view while dodging between the great, sweeping branches of the ancient trees. Forest flight was a bit more difficult than city flight, but Angel found herself calling upon a deep, instinctive knowledge. She had never forgotten how to fly. Perhaps that knowledge was simply in her blood.

They flew for what seemed like hours, though she knew by the darkness of the sky that not too much time had passed. She had no idea where the others had gone. M'gann had maintained radio silence, which seemed odd to Angel. Rarely was her head this quiet, even in the solace of the cave. It caused Angel some discomfort to experience the absence of the others' voices. Too much space remained for stray thoughts - thoughts of battle and the thrill of seeking out one's opponent. They made her blood burn. She did not want them, but they came, regardless of her will. She could almost see the blades, taste the blood... hear the dying as they screamed...

"Guess this is where Mayor Hill's... 'monkey business' went down."

Angel nearly ran into a tree as Captain Marvel's voice brought her back to the present. She swerved hastily, wings beating to slow her down. Her shoulder throbbed at the joint, reminding her that little more than twenty-four hours ago she had been hanging from a wall by nothing but her wings. She should not have been flying that fast, that blindly. Where had her mind been taking her?

Narrowly avoiding the broad branch of another tree, Angel opened her feathers and descended from the canopy. She was beginning to think it would be safer to join Kaldur on foot.

"So at least we've confirmed his story, right?" Captain Marvel continued as she touched down a few feet behind him. Kaldur ignored them both, just kept walking, absorbed in his own thoughts. "Aqualad?"

Kaldur turned, finally realizing that the eyes of both his comrades were trained upon his back.

"My apologies, Captain. I am... Plagued by doubts," Kaldur said. "Perhaps I _was_ wrong to withhold."

Captain Marvel opened his mouth to reply, but he never got around to it. The sound started as a vibration, deep in the ground, resonating through Angel's feet and shaking the feathers on her wings. It rose in pace and volume, swelling to something similar to thunder. Angel's brows pinched together. She glanced around, searching for the source.

"What-?" she started. The resounding crash as a band of elephants forced their way through the brush effectively ended the conversation. Angel barely had time to lift herself into the sky before a great, tusked beast trampled through the spot where she had been standing.

Chaos reigned. Angel retreated quickly to the skies, though her blood screamed at her to return to the ground and destroy the rampant beasts. She had to take stock of the situation. She could not afford surprises, even to satisfy this uncharacteristic bloodlust. She leveled out near the tops of the trees, staring down. At first the stampede was nothing but a blur of screaming, rage-filled giants. Giants whose skin seemed to have come apart at the seams. The sight of their broken flesh should have chilled her. It only made her hungry.

She dragged her eyes away from the open wounds, ignored the blood and flesh in favor of her search for Kaldur. Absentmindedly she prayed that he had not been trampled beneath the raging mammals. In the forefront, her mind had gone all but blank. Reserved, apathetic. Logical.

What was _wrong_ with her?

"Remove the collar!"

Kaldur's voice pushed away the mist of calm. Her heart skipped a beat and then began to race, pumping her full of battle-hot blood. It returned her to the normal adrenaline rush which came with a mission that had gone horribly wrong. Returned her to herself. She glanced wildly around, searching for Kaldur's meaning. There, bound about the thick necks of the elephants... collars.

Tucking her wings against her side, Angel dove for the first beast she laid her eyes on. Diana's training came flooding back to her as she reached for the thick band, seizing it in deceptively delicate hands. The beast's momentum whipped her out of the air, heaving on shoulders that already ached. She hissed in pain, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. Slowly, deliberately, even as she landed with a thump against the elephant's back, she heaved the collar apart.

With a resounding snap, the collar gave, and Angel went tumbling off the elephant's back. She landed hard on the ground at its feet. The impact knocked the air from her lungs and left her spinning. She struggled to pick herself up off her back - a difficult task for one with wings larger than oneself - but there was no need. The elephant, tamed, lumbered away into the jungle.

Angel managed to roll over onto her knees, flopping slightly and hugging her chest as she struggled to pull air back into it. A few fruitless gasps, and her head had begun to spin. Finally she managed to draw a shuddering breath. She looked up, dazed, to find the elephants had gone.

"Pretty sweet! The way you figured out the problem was the collars," Captain Marvel said as he touched down next to Kaldur.

"But the collars indicate an intelligence behind this attack. The rest of the team, may also be at risk," Kaldur said. He touched the earpiece he had, to try and communicate. "Team, report status-ugh! Comm is jammed. And Miss Martian failed to establish a telepathic link before we split up."

"Actually _you_ let everyone split up before communications were set," Captain Marvel replied.

"They would not listen!" Kaldur defended.

"I guess. But... Back at the cave? Batman stopped everyone from arguing with one word," Captain Marvel pointed out.

"Because Batman is... Batman," Kaldur replied.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me. When I first joined the League, all he did was boss me around. And it's hard not to take it personally. But. I never disobeyed an order, and that's probably what kept me alive," Captain Marvel advised. Kaldur frowned, thoughtful.

"Batman _takes _command. He has to... For the good of the League. Thank you for helping me understand," Kaldur said.

"Hey, Wisdom of Solomon," Captain Marvel said pointing to his head.

"**Aqualad, can you hear me?**" M'gann said through a telepathic link. Kaldur looked up, away from Captain Marvel.

"Yes Miss Martian. Report," Kaldur said.

"**Artemis and I were attacked by animals wearing inhibitor collars, like those used on convicts at Belle Reve Prison,**" she replied. Angel frowned, glancing warily around. There could be more of them anywhere... her eyes fixed on the eldest, most experienced member of their team. Captain Marvel was... distracted by something.

"Cool! The tiger! I'll be right back!" He exclaimed taking off for the forest.

"Captain, wait!" Kaldur said. But Captain Marvel was already gone. "Hey, Speed of Mercury." Kaldur raised an eyebrow at the Captain's departure.

"Aqualad," Angel murmured, coming to her feet, massaging the joint between her shoulder and wing. She never wanted to be hung like that again. She would fight to the death to avoid it. The thought brought a crease to her brows - before meeting Gavin she would never have fought to the death for anything. "Any word from the others?"

"Yes. I have telepathic contact with Miss Martian," Kaldur replied.

"And are they... safe?" Angel pressed anxiously.

"I do not know of the others. But I have confirmed Miss Martian and Artemis are indeed safe," he replied.

Angel nodded thoughtfully. Superboy, Robin, and Wally... where had they disappeared to?

In her distraction, she plunged her fingers just a little too firmly into her aching muscles and sent a spear of pain down her spine. She hissed, jerking her hand away.

"God damnit!" she cursed, then clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes a little wide. Kaldur gave her a strange look, before regaining focus. He started out through the woods after Captain Marvel. Angel fell in step with him.

"**Miss Martian, I need a telepathic link up with the entire team. Now,**" Kaldur told her.

"**Link established,**" she replied. Angel jumped slightly at the sound, having grown accustomed once more to stillness.

"**Should he really still be giving us orders? And should **_**you**_** really be following them?**" Artemis challenged.

"**Listen. Please,**" Kaldur said.

"**Oh good, Aqualad's voice in my head. I've **_**so **_**missed that,**" Wally said sarcastically. Angel closed her eyes, irritated. These fools... they would not have recognized a leader if he struck them across the face.

"**Hey Kaldur! KF and I were attacked by giant vultures! 'Course since we're moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves," **Robin chimed in.

"**If he did? He wouldn't tell you,**" Artemis mused. Angel shook her head and raised one hand to continue its rubbing on her injured wing. Provoking the pain provided ample distraction from the bickering of her teammates.

"**Superboy, are you online? Or just pouting,**" M'gann asked.

"**Busy, call back later,**" He replied.

"**What gets me, is how nonchalant he is about **_**not **_**telling us," **Wally said.

"**He should be chalant! Way chalant! **_**Extremely **_**chalant!"** Robin agreed.

"**How can we be a team, if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?**" Artemis asked. Angel's brows tensed once again and her hand moved from her wing to her forehead. She felt like the noise was beating its way through her skull. Too much chatter, not enough action. An army operating this way would be dead in minutes.

"**Or if Conner doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves,**" Jake said. "**That... Wasn't supposed to come out, out loud." **

"**Did he **_**really **_**think you or I could've been the mole?" **Wally asked.

"**We've known eachother for years!"** Robin agreed.

"**Trust is a two-way street!" **Artemis said.

"**And you know they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them! Not that we'd do that... Never," **M'gann said. Angel sighed angrily. She had half a mind to tell them off herself...

"**Enough!" **Kaldur said. "**Captain Marvel has been captured, and we must work as a team to save him." **

"**Hmph. Under **_**your **_**leadership? I don't think s-" **Wally started.

"**THIS is not up for debate,"** Kaldur snapped. They came upon a clearing, where three poles stood. Oddly shaped, irregular... out of place. In his rage, Kaldur simply began to tear them down. **"You all chose me to lead. When the mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down. But until that time I **_**am **_**in command here," **Kaldur seethed. Angel blinked slowly, opening her eyes and glancing at the Atlantian who walked so close beside her. She glanced at Kaldur, tipping her head. An unusually angry response, for him.

"Nice," she whispered, so quietly even he might have difficulty hearing her.

"Angel," he turned to her. Angel looked up at him, startled.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? You stayed silent during the conversation. Is there something you would like to discuss?"

Angel stared at Kaldur, thinking back on it. She had been silent, hadn't she? Annoyed only in her own thoughts. Annoyed... she was never annoyed. What was happening to her? She felt like there was someone else there, inside of her... She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"I'm just feeling weird," she answered. "It doesn't matter. We can talk about it later."

"Alright. As you wish," he replied. He lightly put his hand onto her shoulder for support. Angel smiled at him, reaching up to cover his hand with hers.

"I'm fine," she promised, though somehow she felt like she was lying.

"I hope so," Kaldur muttered under his breath.

"Let's just... go," Angel murmured, turning away and pushing forwards through the brush. She had a feeling that if she let him ask any more questions she would start talking. They did not have time for that.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

The house seemed oddly quiet without her parents there to scream at each other. Cassidy was not sure whether to feel relieved, or lonely. She never saw them when they were being pleasant with each other. It happened so rarely... she pushed her chair away from the table and brought her plate to the sink, dropping it into the silver basin, too lazy to do dishes. Her parents would probably yell at her later, for that. She didn't really care at this point. They were always yelling anyways.

Running her hands under the faucet and drying them on a crumpled, damp dishtowel, Cassidy turned and trudged off through her living room. What she was meant to do on a night like this, she was not entirely sure. Her parents never allowed games in the house, all televison had to be educational... they would probably just tell her to study. She never studied. Maybe that was why they were so angry. She yanked a hair tie off of her wrist and bound up her thigh-length blonde hair. It was days like this when she wished Fever would drop by, just for a quick visit. She did not see enough of the winged hero. More than most people did, certainly... but still...

She stopped half way between her sofa and her useless television, realizing that she had no idea where she had been going. She needed something distracting. Desperately. The repetitive tap of the blindfolded man's finger on her window glass came back to her every time there was a moment of silence. For once in her life, Cassidy wished that her parents were home and arguing.

No sooner had she gotten through the thought then something crashed to the floor upstairs. She jumped visibly, hand flying up to protect her face from whatever it was which had fallen all the way up the stairs and down the hall. In an instant her heart was racing. Every little sound was terrifying, lately. She bit her lip, dropping her grasp to one shoulder and squeezing it gently, as though she could offer herself the sort of support she was supposed to be getting from her father. Standing perfectly still, she waited. Something else fell.

Her heart sank.

She picked the poker up from the hearth of their gas fireplace and started carefully up the stairs. Her hand shook around the cold metal. She had always wondered why they had the poker, if they had no chimney to light a fire under. Suddenly she was glad her mother was a hoarder. The top floor was dead silent as she stalked down it, sock-footed and well aware that anyone more or less than human would hear her approaching. She stood no chance. Not unless she could get him with the end of the poker first...

Cassidy's bedroom door stood ajar, just as she had left it. She pushed it open with the poker, peering in, carefully. Her heart was in her throat. He would grab her. Kill her on the spot. She would die by the hand of a crazy man in a blindfold...

Who was nowhere to be seen.

Raising the poker, Cassidy pushed the door back the rest of the way. She scanned everything, from the ceiling to the mounds of books which had been knocked from her shelves, to the clothes which lay in tangled little heaps all over her floor. This was... definitely not how her room had looked when she went down to get dinner. She tried to swallow, but her throat had already swollen up too far to permit movement. _Shit, shit, shit, shit..._

Cautiously she started across the room, glancing towards the gaping window. Her curtains blew in the evening wind, swaying, ominous. She should have locked the window when she went downstairs. Stupid. She hiked her poker up at her side and hurried forwards to close it.

At first it was no more painful than a pinprick. The bear-jaw trap closed on her ankle with a snap that deafened her, startled her so much that she dropped her poker and tried to scramble away. _Then_ she felt it, prongs biting deep into her ankle, dragging as she fought to get out. She screamed and dropped to the floor, clutching at her injured leg. Blood pooled around her foot, the flow increasing the more she struggled, swelling up her pant leg and painting her vision deepest red. Cassidy's head began to spin.

"What's the matter?"

The voice, high and clear, came from directly beside her. It made her jump again, and then scream when she jerked her leg. A strong hand came down on her shoulder, holding her still.

"Careful," he whispered. She could almost feel him grinning. "You'll tear it more."

"Please, don't, I-" she started begging, but she never finished as he shoved her off to one side, twisting her around on the floor. The trap dug deeper. Her vision popped and she did not have the breath to even scream. He released her shoulder and walked carefully around to her other side, to crouch beside her free leg. He wavered in her vision.

"You have very nice legs," he told her, reaching out with one long, thin finger to stroke the bare skin of her uninjured calf. She shuddered at his touch, scalding hot, as though ravaged by fever. Just like Fever's. "I can see why she likes you so much. She always did have fine taste in women."

Cassidy started to question him, tried to distract him. He struck before she could, sliding his claws out of their sheaths and plunging them deep into the flesh of her calf. Cassidy's scream echoed out the open window, striking a dissonant chord with the blindfolded man's manic laughter. Relishing her pained whimpers, he drew his claws out of her flesh. He dropped back onto his heels then, rocking, watching her. She turned her face into the ground.

"We're one in the same, you know? Angel and I," he chuckled, raising his hand once more. She felt it prick against her back, drawing her shirt up. An instant later something burned cold against her skin, ten times as cold as any ice she had ever felt. He was drawing something in her. Freezing it into her flesh. Shed did not know how she knew, she just did. The same way one knows that one is hungry, or thirsty. "The same breed. She will remember it eventually, and then you won't matter to her anymore. Only I will matter."

Cassidy could barely comprehend what he was saying. Angel... he was talking about Angel. They weren't the same. Angel would never, could never, do such a thing... her legs throbbed painfully with every beat of her heart. Her pants were soaked now with the stickiness of her own blood. Its scent filled her brain, made it impossible to think. She was crying.

"I'll bring her back up to the clouds with me. They took my wings... but T'mere will fly me there. I was her favorite, you know? When she trained us. She'll love carrying me."

He withdrew his claw from her back, but the cold burn remained, numbing her brain. Cassidy couldn't scream anymore. He picked up her hand. She went limply with his touch, twisting her head back around to watch through dull eyes.

"Your hands are nice, too," he observed, playing idly with her fingers. "Fever always did like hands..."

Cassidy watched as he snapped her pointer finger backwards against her hand. Something had disconnected her brain from her body. She couldn't feel it anymore, but she couldn't pass out. She simply floated there, watching as one by one he shattered every bone in her right hand. He dropped the mangled mass, bored.

"I wonder how she'll feel," he mused, taking Cassidy by the shoulders and rolling her over to her back. She landed on her crushed hand. "When she arrives on the crime scene to find your bloody corpse with all the symbols of those silly Justice Leaguers carved in it. She'll never be able to look at those symbols again..." he leaned in close, breath hot against her ear. "She'll have to leave the Justice League. Come back home. We're waiting for her."

Tears streamed down Cassidy's cheeks, but she was no longer aware of crying. Carved with the symbols of the Justice League and left, dead, for Fever to find. She could barely understand what that meant. Pictures played in her mind, nonsense images. Her parents fighting, hugging, making up, fighting again... would they be the ones to find her here? Or would Fever visit before her mother and father could come home?

He was reaching into his belt now, drawing out something long and thin and white. A feather, she realized through the dim-wittedness of blood loss. Fever's feather. It had fallen off when the hero saved Cassidy, and Cassidy had kept it on her dresser ever since. He held it up to the light, examining the snowy shine.

"Little hero," he whispered, and Cassidy knew he was no longer talking to her. Did she even exist now, in this madman's mind? "Happy birthday."

Cassidy did not realize what he was going to do until it was too late. Turning, he plunged the tip of the feather into her left eye, gouging it out. _Now_ she screamed again, nerves on fire as he twisted the feather about in her socket, drilling further down, deeper through. He would go for the brain...

"You'll die slowly," he told her in a pleasant tone as he continued his deadly work. "I want you to feel each symbol as I carve it. You're not allowed to die until I say so, alright?"

Cassidy's screaming dissolved into terrified, agonized wailing. Blinded, mutilated, she had never thought this was how it would end. Why? Why her? Who was this blindfolded monster who spoke so familiarly of Fever, who seemed to know her as a different person entirely? He raised his hand, ready to begin his second carving.

That was when the door opened.

Cassidy screamed as loud as she possibly could, desperate to be heard. Her name. Someone shouted her name. Father... The blindfolded man gave her a furious look.

"Fine," he snapped, sounding almost insulted. "We'll have to settle for this!"

He snatched the feather up again, dug it into the bleeding mass which was all that was left of Cassidy's left eye.

"I'll make sure T'mere knows she did this to you!"

He scrambled away, snatched up the fire poker. The last thing she knew was the crack of hard iron over the back of her head.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

Angel jogged around the arc of a massive tree trunk. It was all she could do to skid to a halt, beating her wings to slow herself, before she bolted right out into enemy territory. Sucking in a startled breath she ducked behind a deep clump of undergrowth, gesturing wildly for Kaldur to join her. Aqualad ducked into the shadows.

"That was close," Angel whispered, turning and peering into the underbrush. She had to sink low to the ground to keep the tops of her wings from showing, so it was a little harder to see anyone in the darkness, but she thought she saw movement.

Yes, there they were. Four of the team - M'gann and Artemis, Robin and Wally - clustered like she and Aqualad in the deep shadows of the rainforest. She nodded slightly. They were almost collected... but where were Superboy and Jake?

"**I'll fly over," **M'gann offered.

"**Negatory. The field extends like a dome over the entire compound,"** Wally informed.

"**Pylons are insulated. But one good shot could cause a momentary gap!"** Robin said, typing away on his holographic computer.

"**I see a target,"** Artemis said, already taking aim.

"**Then be ready to hit it. Be ready. All of you," **Kaldur said. He rose then, darting out across a short stretch of open space and dropping into a crouch beside the shield. Angel caught her breath, waiting as he pried open that tiny hole for Artemis. The arrow flew before she realized what was happening, struck its target hard. The shield went down. The team reacted without question, without discussion, swarming silently out of the brush and rushing down towards the enemy base. Angel took to wing, ignoring the throbbing at the joint. None of them saw the baboon until it was just a little bit too late. Even Robin did not spot it until an instant before it started to scream.

Angel swerved in midair at the sound, eyes widening in alarm. Too late. They seemed to come from everywhere, flinging themselves at the team with indiscriminate rage. In moments the team was swamped by the fur and teeth of a bunch of angry baboons. Angel hovered overhead, panicked, wishing she could do something but knowing that if she tried she would only be dragged to the ground, into the flurry of screaming and gnashing teeth.

"Remove their collars!"Kaldur shouted again, his voice startling Angel, now accustomed to their mental bickering. Angel searched wildly for some sign of his dark skin, his glowing tattoos. There... she'd found him.

"Sounds easy when he says it,**" **Robin commented wryly. Angel did not bother trying to search for him. Robin was one person she was never going to be able to just _find_. Instead she found herself hunting out the deep red of M'gann's hair. If she could help the Martian get airborne, they could turn the tide-

She did not have time to formulate her plan, as the gorilla lashed out, knocking something from the air. A camouflaged M'gann. Angel cried out, starting to dive as the gorilla took aim for her friend, but Wally beat her to it. Big surprise.

"Get your paws off her, you darn dirty ape!" he shouted, speeding into the gorilla's chest. For a moment Angel thought it was going to do them some good, and then wally bounced straight off the great beast's belly. Her heart sank. An ape with a gun. This was something Wonder Woman had not taught her to fight.

Her thoughts cut out as a bullet whisked through the tips of her primary feathers. It was all Angel could do to dart to one side before they stuck in her flesh. She thrashed at the air, racing for the cover of the trees. She had to break that gorilla's line of sight, if she was going to be able to do anything. She broke the tree line in seconds, racing deeper and deeper into the woods. Over the rush of wind she could not hear whether the gunfire had stopped. She darted wildly, nearly blind in the nighttime darkness. It was a miracle she did not hit anything before she managed to circle back to the clearing.

The baboons had thinned out, the gorilla had turned his attention to the others. Putting the forest behind her Angel swooped in on the tossing throng of angry monkeys, seizing the first collar she saw and jerking it apart. It was all she got to do. Set that one monkey free. That was when M'gann threw the gorilla through the wall. Angel swerved back up to avoid the dust as the wall crumbled away, leaving them an opening.

"**Let's go!"**

Angel did not stop to wonder who said it as she tucked her wings to her sides and dove for the gap. She barely skimmed beneath the jagged edge of the top of the hole, tipping back up to the ceiling in the dark hall beyond. No point in getting too close to ground-bound enemies. Her high vantage point allowed her to take in the scene in the space of a single look. Captain Marvel, strapped to a table, what looked like a brain in a can, and a tiger. She shook her head slightly, not bothering to question the situation.

"It's the brain!" Wally said, pointing at it.

"Eugh! I can _see _it's a brain!" Artemis said. She looked disgusted. Angel coasted down and landed at the archer's side. She had to agree with Artemis. The thought of an enemy consisting of nothing but a brain and a metal container was not entirely appealing to her.

"Not a brain! _The_ brain," Wally clarified.

"In the flesh. Eh... So to speak," the brain said. It turned towards it's gorilla ally, saying something no one could quite make out. The gorilla raised its hand, staring at...

Shit.

Angel felt her body give out underneath her as a circle of poles slipped out of the ground. She hit the ground hard, landing flat on top of her wings.

**"Miss Martian, Superboy, NOW"** Kaldur's voice broke through her mind. Lying beside Angel, M'ganns eyes glowed that familiar blue hue. The remote flew from the gorilla's hands, soaring across the room to hover before M'gann's face. The moment the paralyzing circle died, the team was back on their feet. Angel scrambled up, dusting off her wings. Annoyance pricked at her spine as she realized her wing was going to ache even _more_ now. She rubbed at the sore muscles, glaring at the Brain, so focused on the offending mastermind that she nearly jumped out of her own skin when the wall blew in.

A great white wolf went bounding by them, charging the furious gorilla. Angel took hastily to the air, wanting nothing to do with the clash between the wolf's sharp teeth and the familiar clatter of the gorilla's gun. Chaos broke loose as the team made their attack, striking one at a time, almost taunting the gorilla. The gun went off in short spurts, firing at whichever enemy the gorilla spotted first, but to no avail. Angel and the team had all faced worse than a machine gun before. The Brain, too, struggled to take his opponents down. He rolled about in his glorified tin can, firing off his laser and working himself slowly, steadily in towards the gorilla.

In all, the battle was short. In moments the team had them surrounded. Angel parted her primary feathers, descending once again to stand among her teammates. She sighed softly and crossed her arms below her breasts, throwing a mussed bunch of hair out of her face. She could not explain it but these two... annoyed her. Her chest felt odd, tense and breathless. She could not seem to focus. Perhaps she should have taken Kaldur's invitation to talk...

The clanking and hissing of metal slats summoned Angel back from her thoughts once more, as the Brain's tin can began to change. It opened, extended. She did not hear what it said, but her feathers bristled with alarm. It was charging. Charging what?

"Get down!" Wally shouted. Angel's wings flared in alarm, ready to lift her off of the ground. The lights went out.

For that instant of darkness, Angel held perfectly still, right down to her lungs. Then the lights buzzed back to life.

The Brain was gone.

"Wait..." Wally called, staring around with bewilderment. All of them wore that same expression. "That big weapon thing was... a light switch?"

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

Angel sat on the grass a short distance apart from the others, wings beating lightly behind her to work out the kinks. That sudden drop was going to hurt for a while. Nearby, the rest of the team had gathered alongside the bioship, collecting themselves and seeing to the freedom of the rest of the jungle creatures. Normally Angel would have been thrilled to assist them, but today she simply did not feel herself. She pulled her left knee up against her chest and rested her chin upon it, breathing slowly. Why was she so tense? There was no reason to be so wound up - the mission was over, it had gone well - and yet her tension was such that it made her head ache.

Perhaps there was something else going on which made her skull throb...

"The source of the tip was Sportsmaster." Kaldur's words disturbed Angel. She froze, turning her eyes to the team. They had gathered by the bioship, preparing to depart. Briefly she wondered who had asked the question. Robin, no doubt. He seemed the type. In the end it didn't matter in the slightest. Sportsmaster... he'd been fiddling with the team's heads. It had been so easy to do. Kaldur had made the right choice... she could only imagine what would have happened if he had come right out and told them all about the mole.

Silently, Angel watched as the team mended their bonds. Strengthened them. She felt oddly separated from it all, distracted by the pulsing pain at the back of her ear. It felt almost as though something was trying to break out of her head. Memories, perhaps. The thought frightened her. She was used to it, now - not knowing herself. Would she change when her memories returned? Would her friends be her friends anymore?

"Hey, Angel!"

Angel jumped slightly at the sound of Wally's voice. She raised her chin from her knees, staring at him.

"You coming with us or what?"

"I'm coming!" Angel answered hastily, pushing herself up off the ground and folding her wings behind her. She jogged across the grass to climb with the others, up into the bioship. She ignored Kaldur's concerned look as she brushed by and took her place on the ship. She didn't want to talk about it. Not now. Not to him. He was their leader, her friend, but he was still one of the kids. She needed someone wiser.

She found herself wondering where Diana was.

YOUNG JUSTICE

By the time the team returned to the cave, Angel was beyond exhausted. Combat, both physical and mental, had robbed her of any desire to revel in victory. While the others lingered to relive the excitement of their night, and to get to know the great white wolf who had returned with Conner, she retreated in silence to the darkened halls. She wandered for a while, still too absorbed in her thoughts to actually want to sleep, but she knew she would eventually have to try and lie down. Rest, at least. Head still pounding, worse now than before, she made her way to her own room.

She closed the door behind her with a small sigh - half-relief, half-anxiety. One hand rose to rub at her temples, and she did not pause to look around as she made her way to her bed.

"How did it go?"

Angel spun on one heel, hands flying up to defend against the enemy she had not spotted. The enemy which was not there. Diana stepped out of the shadows, smiling in greeting, and Angel let her fists drop weakly.

"Diana," she answered quietly, glancing away from her mentor, ashamed. She should have known that Wonder Woman was there. Had Diana been anyone else, Angel could have been dead. Her mentor, however, did not seem particularly angry. Diana's brow creased slightly, her lips turning down at the corners.

"Are you alright, Angel?" she asked, taking a step closer. Angel thought about lying, telling Diana that nothing was wrong, but she had never been particularly good with deception. She shook her head and dropped onto her bed. Diana crouched in front of her, visibly concerned. It made Angel sick to realize that there was something deep within her that was almost annoyed by that. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know," Angel whispered, searching her head for the right words to explain what she was feeling. They did not come. "I just feel so different..."

"Different how?" Diana shifted up to sit beside Angel on the bed, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. Angel leaned into Diana's touch.

"Angry, I guess," she answered. "When we were fighting out there I... I _enjoyed_ it." She grimaced, disgusted at herself. There was no reason to enjoy the chaos of battle. The comment made Diana smile, though.

"You've met Artemis," she reminded the girl, and Angel's thoughts returned not to the spirited archer of her own team, but to the violent Amazon who had assisted in her training. "There is nothing wrong with enjoying the thrill of battle."

"No," Angel agreed, "but I'm not Artemis. I'm _me_. I... _hate_ fighting."

"Angel... I'm going to be honest with you. In this world... When you have powers, or something that sets you different from the civilians; you have to use it. You could either fight for justice, or become a villain. And since you are different from the masses, I'm sorry to say you don't really have a choice but to fight for something. Be it good or evil," Diana said calmly.

Angel nodded slightly.

"I know but... "she trailed off, shaking her head. "It's just... it doesn't feel like _me_ anymore. It's like there's someone else there."

"Could it be your lost memories?" Diana suggested. "It's not uncommon for amnesiac people, to feel uncomfortable and different before their memories are restored."

"It might be..." Angel wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to hug herself. It didn't help much. "I don't remember anything... I just... I don't like the person I feel there. She scares me."

"Perhaps it could be-" Diana started. At that instant the door slid open. Angel jumped, looking up, and hurried released her embrace on herself. She did not want anyone else to know how she was feeling.

Robin stood in the doorway. He looked directly at her, and Angel felt her heart sink.

"Sorry to interrupt. But Angel, I just watched the news and a girl was umm... Brutally tortured. And almost killed. It was Cassidy," Robin said gravely. "She's currently in the emergency room, in her local hospital." He was giving her a look that very clearly stated 'I told you to be careful'. Angel felt her blood run cold. She did not give Diana the chance to ask her what was happening - she vaulted off of the bed, ran past Robin, heading straight for the zeta beams. She took to the air half way there. It would be faster if she flew.

She had never flown in the cave before - at least, not in the narrow bends of the hallway. It presented a challenge, but after her gun-chased flight through the jungles it was a simple task. She knew Robin and Diana would be somewhere behind her but it did not matter. Her wings gave her an advantage. She flapped out into the front of the cave in moments and sped for the exit. She never made it.

Blind panic paralyzed her mind when her wings fell still of their own accord. Her heart dropped out of her chest as she stared down at the floor, certain that she would fall. She hated falling. An irrational fear for one with wings... at least, usually. Now it seemed very real. Her breath caught and her heart raced and...

She wasn't falling.

Angel swallowed tightly as she realized she was simply floating there, thirty feet from the cold, hard floor. She knew what must be happening. It must be Jake.

"Angel. You can't see her yet. In fact, not for a while. It isn't smart," Jake called. He began to lower her to his level. Angel shuddered as the floor rose - slowly - to meet her. "I know you're concerned. I've been there. You know I've been there. But you have _got _to use your head in these situations."

Angel cast her eyes around the cave, struggling to keep her breathing under control. There was no one... had the others already headed home? Congregated in the kitchen, perhaps? Why did she care? She should be half way to Cassidy by now.

"Let me go, Jake," she demanded, struggling pointlessly against his grasp.

"And let you go and cause a huge scene when they could be operating on her? Right. Like I said, _use your head_," Jake replied.

Angel shuddered, eyes widening slightly.

"Operate- what happened?" she demanded. Robin had given her no details. She hadn't waited for any.

"She got really fucked up. Only actual detail they gave? There was a feather stabbed into one of her eyes. Really gruesome stuff. She's alive. But... Barely," Jake reported.

_A... feather...?_ Angel's thoughts echoed his words as her mind went... sort of numb. He'd told her to use her brain, but she couldn't. There was no coherence there. Her skull still pounded, agonizing, and now a fog had come over her. In the wake of her panic, she was left with nothing but her imagination - the image of Cassidy's mangled body.

Gently, Jake set Angel back on the floor. She did not seem to realize that she had landed, dropping to her knees in a helpless rustling of feathers. Jake stepped forwards and helped her to her feet, guiding her back into the cave, towards her room.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

The dishes rattled slightly on the tray as M'gann carried it down the hall to Angel's room. The sun had risen nearly an hour ago, but Angel had never emerged. The girly rarely, if ever, slept in, and that worried M'gann. She understood completely, but still, Angel needed to eat. She couldn't afford to let this business with the human girl weaken her.

Balancing the tray lightly on one hand, she drew to a halt outside of Angel's door. Gently she rapped on the metal.

"Angel?" she called quietly. "Angel, are you awake?"

No one answered from within. M'gann frowned slightly, hesitant. She knew it wasn't right, but what if something had happened to Angel during the night? The amnesiac had not been acting normally during the mission, and M'gann had seen her reaction to the news last night. She could not help but picture all the terrible things which could happen to a girl with wings. M'gann had to check, right? Just to make sure that Angel was okay.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and peered inside. The room was surprisingly dark, considering Angel's aversion to shadowy places. M'gann paused in the doorway, but nothing moved, not even the stirring of breath. Worry tightened in her chest. Maybe something really had happened? She set the tray down with a soft chinking and crossed the room to Angel's bed.

"Angel," she repeated, still quiet but slightly more urgent. "Angel, are you alright?"

She reached out, taking the sheets gently and pulling them down a little ways to expose the pillow.

The empty pillow.

With a quiet gasp, M'gann turned on one heel and ran back out into the hallways. She had never thought she would see the day when one of the team would have to _escape_ from the cave, but Angel had managed it. The League had to be informed.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

The girl lay, ashen-faced upon the hospital bed, tucked securely beneath the blue-green sheets with her arms pinned against her sides. Needles and patches held all sorts of wires, all sorts of tubes, against and inside Cassidy's body, pumping blood and other fluids she needed to survive, tracking the tiny fluctuations in her vital signs. She lay surrounded by monitors that beeped and flashed, more than enough to drive most people to distraction. It did not bother Cassidy at all. Her face wrapped in bandages, her mouth covered by an oxygen mask, she had no idea what was going on around her. She might never know. She might never wake up.

Angel stood in the shadows in the corner by Cassidy's bed, wings reflecting what little light they could pick up in the near-abandoned hospital. Bright white, mirror-like, they illuminated for her the deathly pale girl. Cassidy... it was Angel's fault that she was here. There was no escaping that. Robin had warned her, and in her ignorance, in her blind trust, she had no listened. Even now she could not imagine who would have wanted to hurt Cassidy, who could have been so cruel. That type of person existed? The kind which would take a feather - Angel's feather - and pluck out an innocent girl's eye for no good reason? Nearly cripple her for life with a trap meant for a bear? Even now, staring at the product of such a horrible act, Angel found it hard to believe. That was what she got for trusting too easily.

She drew a long, shuddering breath and raised one hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes burned, but she fought as hard as she could against the tears. She would not cry. Could not cry. She hated crying, more than pain, more than loss. Tears were useless. What good did they do anyone?

Where were these thoughts coming from?

Angel whimpered softly and turned her back on the darkened hospital bed, staring out the window, onto the city below. Thousands of people lived down there, not knowing, not caring what had happened to Cassidy today. Thousands of people who did not realize that any one of them might be next. Ignorance truly was bliss. She wished she could go back to not knowing, to believing that good was good, evil was evil, and it was easy to tell which was which. Nothing was that simple anymore. She had no clue who had done this to Cassidy - it could be anyone. It could have been Robin, or Batman, for all she really knew. She doubted it, but...

No. No, she could not start thinking so cynically. She could not afford it. Optimism kept her sane. Not that it was helping very much now. Cassidy had nearly died. She may still die, for all the doctors could tell. Her wounds were very deep, the trauma very real. Even if she woke, mentally she might never recover. And it was all Angel's fault.

Nothing will ever change that.

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><p><strong>AN: IT'S BEEN SAID. FINALLY. Okay. What did you think? Very gorey and very... Angsty. Just a lot of stuff is going on in this chapter. See why it's rated M? Next chapter is a Jake chapter, and we'll see what goes on with him. Getting closer to Failsafe... And yeah. I PROMISE that Jake's chapter won't be this dark or messed up. I PROMISE. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. I'm almost tempted to give you guys a quota, but I won't. I'm not that attention whore-y. See ya! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Here's the next Jake chapter! This chapter they fight in the Injustice League. The chapters will always have something to do with what happens in the show, I promise you that. So... The winner of the little contest thing I had a while back? Their moment is in this chapter. It's very SuperJake centered, and Angel does not appear. There is a reason for that, so don't like... Eat me. This chapter is shorter than the last, but it does give some important details to Jake's story. **

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><p>Robin and Kaldur were sparring in the briefing room, on the training pad. They were going hand to hand combat, using the skills Black Canary had taught them. The two were pretty evenly matched, until Superboy, Jake, and Wolf walked in. Superboy and Jake were smiling at each other, and seemed preoccupied in their conversation. Kaldur watched as the two went their own way, and didn't stop to greet them.<br>"You know they're a couple, right?" Robin said, into Kaldur's ear.

"I believe I knew before they did," Kaldur replied. The two of them turned to see Wally and Artemis walking side by side into the room.

"Do we tell them?" Robin asked.

"It is not our place," Kaldur replied.

"So if Zatara's our baby-sitter of the week... Ugh why is _he _still here? And why is he eating my snacks?" Wally asked, pointing to Captain Marvel. The hero had taken an obvious liking to the team.

"**Recognized. Batman 02,**" the zeta beam computer announced.

"Computer, National News," Batman ordered. The computer followed it's command and brought up the current story.

"The initial attack was short lived. But Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve. And despite the intervention of Superman _and _the Justice League, there seems to be no end in sight," Cat Grant said. The entire team had grouped together to see what the story was. They were being shown images of what looked like giant plants attacking the city. Crushing buildings, and and wreaking havoc on everything. They saw Superman, Hawkwoman, and Hawkman fighting against the plant and evacuating civilians.

"Should we get out there?" Robin asked.

"No. The League will soon have the situation under control, that's not why I'm here. According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus' Blockbuster formula to Cobra," Batman said.

"Who combined it with Bane's venom to create Cobra-venom!" Wally chimed in.

"Which the Brain used to create his animal army," Robin said.

"And upgrade Wolf," Superboy agreed, lightly stroking Wolf's chin.

"The Brain also used inhibitor collars. Like the one's all Belle Reve Penitentiary," M'gann pointed out.

"Batman, is it possible that plant thing is on _cobra-venom _too?" Artemis asked.

"I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis. The vine cellulose does contain trace amounts of a cobra-venom variant," Batman answered.

"These cannot be coincidences. Unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide," Kaldur declared.

"Exactly. It's now clear our enemies have formed so kind of... Secret Society of Supervillains. The attack on Metropolis, is only the beginning," Batman agreed.

"Got that right! The plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Paris, Star City, Tai Pei-," Robin said. He was typing on his holographic computer, and pulling up images of all those cities. But the suddenly all the images went static.

"Dude," Wally said.

"It's not me! Someone's cutting the satellite signal. _All_ satellite signals!" Robin said. He was typing furiously. But soon his attention was diverted. When the Joker popped up on all the screens. He was wearing his signature grin. He reached forward with his hand and lightly tapped on the camera he was talking into.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem, to bring you this important announcement. From the _In_justice League," The Joker said, and started laughing. He then turned the camera to face a gathering of Supervillains. Count Vertigo, Atomic Skull, Poison Ivy, Ultra-Humanite, Black Adam, and Wotan.

"We are responsible for the attacks on your cities. If you wish to save them, a ransom of ten billion American dollars are required. Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit. But... The longer your governments wait-," Count Vertigo said. The Joker turned the camera back to him.

"The more we get to have our... Jollies," The Joker said, before he began laughing into the camera. The image cut back to static. Batman brought his hand up to his left ear, which meant his was opening his comm-link to the rest of the League.

"Roger that, Aquaman. The UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback. But it won't come to that," Batman said. Robin was furiously typing away at his computer again. He brought up an image of the Injustice League once again.

"Count Vertigo, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Adam, Wotan! _Seven _heavy hitters. Probably behind nearly everything and everyone we face," Robin declared.

"There's your secret society," Wally responded.

"Not so secret anymore," Artemis chimed in.

"Perhaps after India... They realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer," Kaldur said.

"Yeah? That was _their_ mistake! Right now, I say we go kick some plant creature butt!" Wally exclaimed. He rammed his fist into his palm to show his excitement.

"The Justice League will handle the plants. I have a different job for this team," Batman shattered Wally's idea.

"Aww man," Wally groaned. Artemis punched him in the arm roughly.

"With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission; is to destroy it," Batman said.

"You realize... What you're _really _asking them to do," Zatara asked.

"They're ready," Batman replied.

"Ready? Ready for _what?_" Wally asked. Artemis punched him in the arm again.

"Ow! Will you cut that out-," Wally started.

"_Hello _Wally! If the big guns are fighting plants, who do you think _we'll _be fighting?" Artemis asked him.

"I don't know! I guess we'll-," Wally started again. He was interrupted by Artemis pointing past his face and at the screen. "Ohhhhhhhhh."

"Well Batman, I trust you're correct," Zatara said.

"I trust _you _can locate the enemy," Batman replied.

"Indeed. Wotan's involvement suggests sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled. Robin, if you would provide a holo-map," Zatara said. Robin began to type away at his holographic keyboard once again. "I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcerer activity. _Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros! _There! That is where you will find the Injustice League's central control system." A little red marker popped up onto the holo-map.  
>"Coordinates locked in. The Louisiana Bayou!" Robin said.<p>

"We are on our way," Kaldur said. The team took off running to go get changed. Captain Marvel went to follow them.

"Captain Marvel. For this plan to succeed, the entire Justice League must be seen fighting the plant creatures. You, Zatara, and I are needed elsewhere," Batman said sternly.  
>-YOUNG JUSTICE-<p>

Jake dressed in his "Sacrifice" uniform, and boarded the bioship. Conner was right next to him.

"Hey, Jake?" Conner asked shyly. He had his hand on the back of his neck again. Which meant he was nervous or embarrassed about something. Jake looked around. They were completely alone. For the time being until the rest of the team made their appearance.

"Yeah?" Jake responded. Conner still looked unsure. "We're alone for right now, because we were ready. Whatever it is, you might wanna say it now. Or... You won't get the chance until later."

"I just... Want you to be careful. Back when I was Cadmus, the genomorphs taught me about those guys. They're bad news," Conner said. Jake considered changing the boy's name from Superboy to Captain Obvious.

"Uhhh yeah. They are. I know all of them. I've seen them on the news. And I've heard _plenty _about The Joker from Robin. More than I needed to," Jake responded nonchalantly. Conner looked at him seriously.

"I... Just want to protect you," Conner responded.

"I know. And that's sweet. But when we're on a mission, I'm your teammate not your boyfriend. Okay?" Jake said.

"Okay," Conner admitted defeat. They were quickly joined by the rest of the team, including wolf. How attached was Conner to that dog, anyways? They took their seats and were strapped in. Wally was looking around curiously.

"Hey, where's Angel at?" he asked. Everyone else looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Were you... _Not _here last night? Did you miss that whole thing?" Jake asked him.

"Uhhh yeah! I went _home!" _Wally defended. "Did something happen to her?"

"Let's just say she's... Occupied. Other stuff to do," Robin said. Wally seemed to accept that answer. M'gann stayed eerily quiet during the whole exchange. Jake knew what happened. Angel was... Sort of _stuck _in Mount Justice. Not allowed to leave. After what she had pulled last night. Jake was worried about her, sure... But he was about to go up against some of the most evil people in the history of like... Everything! So he **had **to focus on getting ready. It was going to be a really long ride all the way down to Louisiana.

**Bayou Bartholomew **  
><strong>October 1, 18:52 CDT <strong>

The bioship soared over the swamp lands. The team was silently preparing themselves. Jake sat there, his eyes closed, and focusing. He felt different. Changed, somehow. As if he was more powerful in a way. He didn't like that. Getting stronger was one thing, but wasn't he supposed to _work _for that?

"What's in the duffel?" Wally asked, munching on a banana. He was looking at the bag beside Kaldur's chair.

"Plan B," Kaldur replied. Jake knew that was a creepy-ass thing to say, but he let it drop. He didn't open his eyes. Until he heard M'gann groan.

"You alright?" Conner asked her. Jake felt a twinge of jealously. Since when did he start caring so much about her? Wait why did it even bother him?

"Dizzy," M'gann replied. Everyone was looking at her now.

"Martians get air-sick?" Robin asked.

"She _does _look a bit greener than usual," Wally agreed.

"Not _me, _her," M'gann responded.

"I feel fine," Artemis clarified.

"Not her, the Bioship! She's trying to shield us but-," suddenly the Bipship began to use evasive maneuvers. It was weaving and bobbing. They had been spotted. That much was obvious. But who was attacking them? The Bioship exited camouflage mode. That was a bad sign. Suddenly they were struck from underneath.

It sent the ship spiraling into the swamp waters, and then tumbling through them. Jake never opened his eyes, as he was thrown around in his chair. His seat belt tightened around him, to keep him from moving too much. When the ship finally came to a relative stop, the team all looked around. What had hit them? They didn't have much time to think as gigantic vines appeared out of the water and enveloped the ship.  
>It was holding the ship still. As if waiting for someone to come and attack them. Something heavy landed on the top of the ship. Black Adam tore through the top of the ship, and glared down at them. M'gann gripped her head tightly, and let out a pained sound.<p>

"He's hurting her!" she shouted. Conner leapt into action, and punched Black Adam through the hole he had created. The ship began to be pulled under by the giant vines, and the ship was taking on water. It was quickly filling the ship to the point where everyone was at chest level depth within seconds.

"No! No _way _am I'm nearly drowning three missions in a row!" Artemis yelled. She pulled out a small oxygen supplier and put it on her mouth. She noticed Wally looking at her. She pulled out another and handed it to him.

"Wow. Uhhh... Thanks," Wally replied softly. He took it. Jake subconsciously moved over to where Conner was. Conner looked at him, and nodded. Which was his version of 'stay safe'.

"M'gann, we need to get out. Open a hatch!" Conner said, lightly touching her shoulder.

"Hello Megan! Of course," she said as she face palmed. Then she morphed herself gils and dove under the water. Jake felt that twinge of jealously again. When did he get so jealous and territorial? Had he always been that way? He dove under as well, to watch M'gann open a hole for them to swim out of.

"**Out! Everyone out!**" Kaldur ordered. Everyone excited, and swam to shore. The team arrived and collapsed onto the shore, coughing and panting. They swam a ways to get there, despite having had devices that supplied them with oxygen. They took cover behind bushes, just in time to watch the Bioship get taken under by the vines.

"She's in shock! She'll need time to recover," M'gann said. But soon the entire team was blasted with some sort of shock wave. It sent them all to the ground instantly. Jake's head felt like it was splitting open. Whatever it was, it was _awful. _He couldn't bring himself to move more than his head. He looked over at Wally, who seemed to be having better luck than he was.

"Vertigo!" He shouted. So that's who was doing this.

"_Count _Vertigo to _you _peasant," Vertigo responded. Jake turned his head to see Conner get to his feet only to be punched _hard _by Black Adam. Jake slowly pushed himself off the ground, wait. He could move! Vertigo had stopped doing... Whatever it was he was doing! Jake sprang to his feet, only to find Kaldur was one step ahead of him. He had used his water to send Vertigo flying backwards, into the marsh.

"**Robin! Miss Martian! Disappear. We will keep them busy. You two fulfill the mission objective!**" Kaldur ordered. M'gann entered camouflage mode and Robin... Robin just did the ninja thing again. Jake watched as Kaldur was attacked by Black Adam, who was instantly attacked by Wolf. Wally and Artemis went to help, but Black Adam threw Wolf into them.

Jake realized he was mostly being ignored. As Black Adam was attacking Wally and Artemis, Jake's sword's spun out of their holsters and began flying towards Black Adam. They made contact, and successfully did damage to him. Wally and Artemis got Wolf off of them, and went back to fighting form. They attacked Black Adam as a four on one coordinated attack. Jake sprinted at Adam, with his two swords hovering next to his head. The swords darted at Adam, only to be sent right back at Jake as if they were trying to skewer him. He managed to stop them in time with only a small cut on his cheek.

He didn't have time to continue that train of thought, before he felt Adam's hand on his face, and his skull being smashed into the ground. He lost consciousness instantly. Wally was next, as he started running circles around the man only to be tripped up by Vertigo's mind blast. He then tumbled right into one hell of a punch from Adam and was out cold. Conner was still out from hitting the ground so hard from that first punch. Kaldur used the water from the swamp to form them into mallets. He charged at Adam, only to be thrown into Artemis and Wolf at full strength. It knocked them all out instantly.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

Jake's eyes snapped open. He immediately got to his feet and wildly looked around. Where was he? Last thing he remembered was fighting the Injustice League in the Bayou of Louisiana. But this didn't look like a swamp. In fact it wasn't one. It was the farthest thing from one! He was in... Some weird place.  
>He blinked as he finally began to take in his surroundings. The warm breeze lightly tickled his face. He felt very... Comfortable here. He gazed around the landscape. He was on a hill. A soft, green hill. The grass was swaying lightly with the breeze. The sky was a mixture of pinks, oranges, and sunset colors. He looked at the top of the hill, to find a beautiful tree. What kind of tree it was, he didn't know. He was no nature expert. It's leaves were... A color he couldn't place. But it was beautiful. Extremely, beautiful.<p>

He slowly began to walk to the top of the hill, towards the base of the tree. He could feel the soft grass moving beneath his toes. It tickled them softly. Wait wait wait. _Toes? TOES? _Why did he not have shoes on? He took this opportunity to look at himself. He dressed in all white. Except this material felt... Silky, almost. The shirt he was wearing had short sleeves, and golden piping. The white looked phenomenal against the landscape and the sky. His pants only went down to about mid-calf. They were almost capris, except... No they were pretty much capris. Without the little tassels that hang off the sides. They were also piped with a golden color. He was... Almost glowing.

Deciding he liked the way he currently looked, he continued his way up the hill. It was a short walk, and so he reached the top in a short time. He lightly touched the bark of the tree. It didn't feel like any tree had ever felt before. It wasn't soft like everything seemed to be. It was hard like bark should be. But it was also... Warm. Very warm. This whole place was the perfect temperature. Everything about it was just gorgeous. He turned his attention to the view he had from the small hill. He gasped as he took in the sight.

It was a limitless meadow of rolling green and multi-colored hills. The sun was just above the horizon. And it seemed... Almost frozen there. Just above it was... Earth. Earth was... In this beautifully colored sky. Except Earth wasn't the blue and green he'd always pictured it being. It was... Off colored somehow. The clouds in that general direction seemed to never block it's view or drift in front of it. The way they fanned out around it... Only drew more attention to it. The odd thing about this place... Was that it was completely still. It was an epic picture, that was easily worth several hundred thousand words. The slow caress of the breeze's breath was the only thing that moved.

Jake knew he could have spent eternity just... Looking at this beautiful place. He was definitely not on earth anymore. Considering the fact that he was looking at it. He lightly folded his arms over his chest, and let one hand lightly touch his cheek. He immediately pulled his hand away. Just touching his own cheek... Felt electric. And by no means in a bad way. It felt... _Good. _He touched his cheek again, and lightly stroked it. It felt... Incredible. To say the word sensual would have been an understatement. He probably looked like a freak, touching his own face and getting that much pleasure out of it. Now he wished Conner were here. Because of reasons.

He wondered if he should do anything. He felt so at peace here. He spread his arms and let the warm breeze lightly push his clothes around. He spun lightly in circles, and almost began to giggle a little. He felt like a little kid at Walt Disney World. So full of mystery, wonder, and wanting to adventure through this entire place. It would surely take months to traverse this entire plane. And maybe even those tall mountains in the distance. Wait, mountains? When had the mountains appeared? He definitely didn't notice them, the first time he looked around. Yet they stretched out on either side of the hill. In the distance, but they stood tall and strong.

Jake slowly closed his eyes. He hoped he never left this place. And everyone just came here and stayed with him forever. It would be perfect.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

Jake's eyes snapped open once again. He was being carried... In a cage. An orange cage. He slowly began to sit up. He noticed Kaldur was doing the same. He looked around and saw Conner, Wally, Artemis, and Wolf still passed out. Guess they lost that fight.

"They awaken. You're certain this will hold them?" Vertigo asked.

"The cage is impenetrable. Even the Superboy has no chance of escaping," Wotan replied. Jake knew who Wotan was. He had heard stories about him. Never seen him in person, until now.

"You are not the only one trained in the mystic arts, Wotan!" Kaldur said. He began trying to pry the bars apart, but ultimately failed.  
>"Please Atlantean, do not pretend you are in my league," Wotan mocked. Jake got to his feet. He had to get everyone conscious. He went over to Conner and kneeled down next to him.<p>

"Superboy. Superboy wake up. Wake UP," Jake said loudly as he lightly smacked Conner across the face. Conner's eyes snapped open.

"Sacrifice! Are you alright?" he asked. Jake merely nodded. He was still thinking about that beautiful place he was just in. He wanted desperately to go back there. Conner seemed to tell something was up. "Are you really?"

"Yes, Superboy. I'm fine. We've got to wake up the others," Jake replied. He proceeded to wake up Wally and Artemis while Conner went straight to Wolf. They woke just in time, because the bioship flew overhead and knocked Wotan out of the air. The cage disappeared and they were all free falling.  
>They landed heavily into the calf deep water. Ultra-Humanite was waiting for them as they landed. Jake watched as Conner looked up, and his eyes instantly turned to pure rage. Wolf snarled.<p>

"I hate monkeys," he seethed. And he charged at Ultra-Humanite with a battle cry that should make even Batman's blood curdle. Jake turned to see Artemis and Kaldur looking at Poison Ivy. They instinctively reached for their weapons, but found that they were weaponless.

"Ugh! I feel naked!" Artemis said. "And not in a fun way." Jake had to do a double take for that second part. What the hell was naked in a fun way? Jake realized he still had his swords. They had been cloaked, and virtually undetectable. He decided to go help Conner with his monkey problem. He sprinted over and joined in the fray. His swords once again, spinning out of their holsters. He kept them spinning this time. Deciding to use them as makeshift shurikens. He threw them at Ultra-Humanite and made contact. Humanite made a displeased sound, but the swords did not cut his skin.  
>Jake dodged the ape's swing at him. He heard an explosion behind him, and saw the giant plant creature go up in flames. Mission Accomplished. Buuuut now they had seven pissed off villains coming at them all at once. Yay.<p>

"Sacrifice move!" Conner yelled. Jake got the call just in time to be roughly smacked in the face by the giant ape, and sent flying against a tree. He heard a sickening crack, and felt an intense pain shoot down his left leg. Ow ow ow. _**OW. **_That was broken. That was DEFINITELY broken. He cried out briefly, but decided not to call too much attention to himself.

"_ENOUGH!"_ Wotan boomed. He conjured up this giant spell, and began to zap every team member with what looked like... Lightning. It hit Jake's chest hard, and pinned him against the tree that had just broken his leg. It hurt like hell, but he just couldn't move. He could see it even pinned _Conner. _Now he really had no chance.

Kaldur was the only one resisting it. M'gann landed right in front of him, but he somehow was able to move and protect her from the attack. He said something to her, but Jake couldn't make out what. A duffle bag suddenly dropped out of the sky, and landed in front of Kaldur. The Bipship must've dropped that off. Jake watched as Kaldur pulled out the content of the bag, and held it above his head.  
>"The Helmet of Fate," Wotan said. He stopped his attack on all of the team members. Jake fell to the ground, which got him absolutely covered in mud.<p>

"No Aqualad, don't!" Wally said, getting to his feet. But he was punched hard in the face by Adam, and sent flying. Conner then quickly hit Adam and sent _him _flying. Another sickening crunch was heard as Wally was thrown against a tree. That's two broken bones.

"Wotan. You are mine," the combined voice of Doctor Fate and Kaldur said. Jake decided not to watch that fight. He had to help. Somehow. He tried to get to his feet, but he felt an intense pain in his left leg. More than before. He held in his cries, and didn't let any tears fall. He just leaned against the tree, and tried desperately not to enter shock.

He was panting hard, and watching his teammates actually start to win against their enemies. He felt so damn useless. If his leg wasn't broken, he'd be right out there with them. He hadn't even looked down to see how bad the damage was. And he wouldn't if it was as bad as it felt... Seeing it might send him into a panic. And he would _NOT _be a liability to his team. So he was going to just stay in the corner, out of the way.  
>But that's when Wotan hit the ground hard, and made quite a splash. Conner took down Ultra-Humanite, and suddenly everyone else was looking up. Jake looked up to see... The Justice League. Every single member. They landed, and had the Injustice League surrounded. Jake felt relieved. Thank god he was only useless for the very last part of the fight.<p>

"There will be another day," Count Vertigo said as he put his hands up.  
>"Another day? ANOTHER DAY? There won't be another day! Not for any of us!" The Joker said, as he started laughing maniacally. He began to move his fingers in a typing motion. Soon, large vines started popping up and releasing gas.<p>

"Joker-venom spores! Don't breathe!" Batman ordered. He then punched the Joker in the face, knocking him out.

"Fear not!" Doctor Fate said, as he rose up into the sky. Jake watched as he summoned a large golden colored ankh, and sucked the gas out of the air. Jake was still holding his breath, until he saw the last of it disappear into that symbol. "Fate has intervened!"  
>It was over. The rest of the League apprehended and took away the members of the Injustice League. Jake watched as they began to fly off. He couldn't help but notice The Joker smiling at him. It sent shivers down his spine. Why was the Joker looking at <em>him <em>of all people? He'd think about it later.

"Sacrifice!" Conner said, running over. Wolf was running next to him. Jake merely nodded at him. "Are you okay?" Jake could just by _one _look into Conner's eyes that he was blaming himself for this. There was going to be talk later, and Jake knew it.

"Yeah... My leg's just broken. But other than that I'm good," Jake answered. He really needed to move away from this tree.

"Let me see," Conner said. He began to kneel down.

"No! No, it's fine Superboy. Let's just... Go reconvene with the team okay? We'll deal with this later," Jake said. Conner sighed, and rose to his feet again.

"Alright. At least let me help you," Conner said. He ducked under Jake's arm, and provided support and balance for Jake to hop on one leg. They moved slowly but consistently over to the team. Batman, Aquaman, Captain Marvel, and Zatara were still present.

"What were you thinking! How could let him put on the helmet? Nabu will _never _release him now. Kaldur will be trapped inside Doctor Fate forever," Wally said. His right arm was in a sling. When had that treatment happened? Jake looked at Doctor Fate with sad eyes. Kaldur was gone? There was no way! Kaldur was their leader, and he completely trusted the guy! Kaldur was his friend... That was when Doctor Fate's hand traveled up to the helmet, and pulled it off. There was a bright golden light, and Kaldur was back to normal. Wally rushed over to him, all excited. "Nabu let you go?"  
>"He almost did not, but your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello," Kaldur replied in his normal dry tone. Yet he was cheery. Wally looked like he wanted to say something, but never got the chance.<p>

"We're done here," Batman interrupted. "The Supervillain Secret Society has been neutralized. As for your performance: …... It was satisfactory." The team all shared looks of happiness and relief with one another. Jake just sighed and leaned more on Conner. He could tell the Superboy was mentally beating himself up about this.

The Bioship came to meet them, and they all slowly but eagerly boarded. It was hearing everyone's disgusted groans that he realized how gross Conner was. And that he was _leaning_ on someone that messy.

"When you get back to the base... Shower. Immediately," Jake said.

"Med Lab first. Shower second," Conner shot back without hesitation. Jake realized there was no arguing this. Conner was probably going to start throwing a fit otherwise. He was already throwing one in his head.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. You are such a worry-wart," Jake replied. Worry-wart? Had he really just said that? The hell was wrong with him.

"Hey it's-," Conner started. Jake shushed him, as they made it to the single stretcher. Conner easily lifted Jake up and put him on it. Jake hissed as his broken leg made contact with it. "Let me see."

"_Fine,_" Jake pouted. He wasn't one to like being doted on. He kept wincing and letting out small noises of pain as Conner maneuvered him around to an easier to get to position. Conner pulled Jake's boot off, and slowly began to roll up his pant leg. Jake had to resist the urge to cry out in pain, and so he clenched his jaw and eyes tightly.

"Shit," Conner said. Jake knew that couldn't be good.

"The hell happened? Is it _that _bad?" Jake asked. He wasn't willing to look. For the knowledge that if he did, he would be in severe amounts of pain. Whereas now he beginning to numb.

"How could I let this happen," Conner said. "I was right there, and I did **nothing **to stop him from hitting you!" Jake slipped his gloves off. They were covered in mud anyways. He reached forward and laid his hands softly on Conner's cheek. Conner was avoiding eye contact. He _really _believed this injury was his fault. What the hell gives?

"Hey. Look at me," Jake said. Conner obeyed. "This was not your fault. It happens to everyone. Wally broke his arm! Blame Ultra-Humanite if you're going to blame anyone."

"You don't get it," Conner replied. Jake frowned.

"How do I not get it?" Jake asked.

"You just don't," Conner said softly. Almost in a sad tone.

"You are such a handful. So back on the task at hand... What's up with my leg? I'm trying not to look at it, so I'm gonna need you to tell me. What's broken?" Jake asked.

"Well... I can see your bone," Conner replied shyly. Jake raised an eyebrow.

"Well you _do _have X-ray vision. So that much is clear," Jake replied.

"... I'm not using my x-ray vision," Conner clarified. Oh. _Oh. _Shit shit shit. That's not only serious, that's also gross.

"Oooooooookay. My bone's sticking out. That's great! That's great. Oh yay. Conner remind me to never look down at my leg, ever. Because I _will _start to feel that," Jake said. His voice was hiding his panic. "And don't leave, either. I need a hand to squeeze."

"Wasn't going anywhere," Conner replied. He sat on the stretcher next to Jake and held his hand. Jake's thoughts drifted back to the... Paradise he was in earlier. He thought about how amazing this contact would have felt in that realm... World... Plane... Thing. Whatever the hell it was.

"Hey Conner... When we were knocked out earlier, and in that cage-thing? I'm pretty sure... I went somewhere. And not in a dreamlike sense. I think I actually went somewhere... I'm not sure how to describe it. I just... It was so beautiful there," Jake said. Conner looked over at him.  
>"You wanna tell me about it?" He asked.<p>

"I'm trying to find words for it... It was just so beautiful that I-I'm at a loss for words. I really wanted you to be there. You would have loved it, I swear you would have. There were so many colors, and it was the perfect temperature. It was like a paradise almost," Jake replied. He lightly squeezed Conner's hand. And got a squeeze back. "And yet... As beautiful as it was... Thinking back on it now, I'm a little scared. What did it mean? Why was I the only one there? The only walking, talking, breathing thing for miles around?"

"I... Don't know, Jake," Conner replied. Lightly squeezing Jake's hand again.

"I have such awkward mood swings, I swear," Jake said. Conner let out a small chuckle.

"Yes, you do," Conner agreed. Jake lightly swatted at him with his free hand.

"You're not supposed to agree with me!' Jake laughed. The two quickly began having loving banter back and forth. Completely unaware that they were being watched. Unaware that someone's heart was shattering, and their world was falling apart a little. The two were falling in love, and the one was left out in the rain. She turned away, tears pulling at her eyes, and left them.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

Jake was lying on Conner's chest. On Conner's bed. In Conner's room. They were in a cuddly mood. They had both showered, and Jake was spending the night there. He didn't feel like going home. He didn't feel like moving actually. The beating of Conner's heart was enough to relax even a rampaging dinosaur.

"Conner, I've got to be honest with you... I'm a little of M'gann. I don't know why, but I just am," Jake said. Completely disrupting the peaceful silence they had created. He felt Conner's chest tense.

"Jake I... There's something I gotta do. Something I gotta tell you," Conner said. "When M'gann and I were on the mission at Belle Reve. She... We... Kissed." Jake immediately sat up.

"You did what," he asked calmly. Conner sat up too, which moved Jake into his lap.

"I... Why didn't you tell me? What happened? Do you like her?" Jake asked.

"What? No! Well I mean yeah," Conner scrambled. Jake looked insulted. "Not like that! But as a friend."

"Then _why _did you _kiss _her?" Jake asked again.

"I didn't! She kissed me! It just happened!" Conner answered. Jake got up off of Conner's lap, grabbed his crutches, and headed for the door.

"Jake! Jake wait," Conner said. He got up off the bed, and reached out for Jake. His touch lightly tracing Jake's back.

"I can't _believe _you hid that from me!" Jake said, as he spun around. His face was twisted in anger.

"Why are you so upset?" Conner asked him.

"I don't know! Maybe it's because we're dating you kissed _someone else_? Conner, that's cheating!" Jake made to leave again, but Conner held him there.

"Is there anyway I can make you feel better?" he asked softly.

"No. Now stop being so fucking compassionate and caring so I can hate you!" Jake yelled.

"I-," Conner started.

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" Jake yelled. Conner spun Jake around and kissed him passionately. Jake's eyes widened, but then he kissed back. Conner wrapped his arms around the small of Jake's back. Jake wrapped his arms around Conner's neck, and the kiss deepened. Their lips moved against each other, as they had countless times before.

Jake melted into the kiss. He couldn't stay mad at Conner. He... Loved this boy. Not like there was any doubt, from the beginning how he felt. But he was in _love _with Conner Kent. The Superboy. He could have stayed like this forever... Forever... A word he felt like he had used an awful lot, lately.

"Jake, I'm sorry," Conner said as he broke the kiss. Jake smiled softly.

"I'm sorry too... Our first fight. Awfully short, but still a fight. Guess that's a milestone for us," Jake mused. Conner kissed him again.

"I-I, I love you Jake," Conner scrambled. Jake felt himself gush a little at that.

"Yeah... I love you too," Jake replied. "... Can we go watch a movie or something? We're just kind of standing here."

"Mmhmm," Conner replied. "Only if I get to carry you."

"You're only carrying me if we can watch a Disney movie," Jake said. Conner frowned slightly. "Hey, take it or leave it."

"Fine. But we're not watching Cinderella," Conner said. Jake laughed.

"Pfft. We're watching The Lion King," Jake declared. "My alltime favorite animated movie ever."

"Haven't seen it," Conner replied as he picked Jake op bridal style. Jake gasped.

"You.. What? You haven't seen Lion King? To the living room. Now," Jake ordered. Conner raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you-," he started.

"_**Now,**_" Jake said. Conner sighed and shook his head, and started walking to the combined kitchen and living room area. Jake realized Conner had left his crutches behind. Oh that sneaky bastard. He did that on purpose! So he couldn't escape. Jake swore if Conner started tickling him... It was on.

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><p><strong>AN: CLICHE YET ADORABLE. I ship SuperJake SO hard. SO DAMN HARD. Okay. Ehem. Anyways. I felt like after last chapter's sudden dark, and gorey and awful twist... The story needed some fluff and cute SuperJake moments. So that's what I did. But evidently the entire chapter wasn't like that. In the next several chapters, we get Zatanna! Who is actually one of my favorite characters, and she WILL play a major role in this story if it KILLS me. Yes or no to Zatanna, though... I figure I should ask you guys first. Let me know in your review, okay? So you should review. So you can tell me that. Yes? Yes. **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: SORRY FOR THE WAIT! Angel's new chapter is finally here! I think it's a very nice chapter, and her plot is thickening. I love it. LOVE IT. I... Don't have anything else to say, other than... Shit goes down. So. HAVE FUN!**

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><p>The clock on Angel's bedstand ticked away each second as she lay face down upon her sheets, eyes buried in her pillow. She had not moved for hours - precisely how long, she could not have said. The ticking had become a mindless backdrop to her shocked fog, something to focus on when her head ached, or to ignore when her thoughts overcame her. She had not stretched her legs, or her wings, since three nights before, when she had flown to Cassidy's bedside. She had not eaten, had barely drunk. Batman had put her under house arrest for the team's mission. She held no grudge against him for it - she would have done the same thing. Unable to organize her thoughts, she would likely have gotten them all killed.<p>

As such, she had remained in place since before the mission's beginning. She had not seen anyone, refused to speak to her friends, to her mentor. She knew, somewhere deep in the back of her mind, that she must be worrying Diana, that she must be worrying the team. In her numbness she could not bring herself to care. She ignored each knock upon her door, refused to respond to their coaxing. Blamed herself.

It _was_ her fault, after all. Somehow, in some twisted way, she was to blame. They still did not know who had attacked Cassidy - it could have been any serial killer, targeting Cassidy for some unknown reason, but in Angel's mind she was certain that it was her fault. She had spent too much time with Cassidy. Been too open with her. She'd gotten the girl hurt. Killed, possibly - they would not know for some time whether or not she would ever wake up. It made Angel sick to think of it. Sick to recall the bandages which obscured Cassidy's face, where Angel's feather had pierced her eye. Angel had not realized she was missing a feather. She had many feathers, and had no reason to keep track of them. She had not meant to drop it where some killer could find it. Apparently, she had done so in spite of her intentions. No one could control where they lost their feathers. No one could control who picked them up.

The clock buzzed softly, warning her that noon had come. She did not twitch. She was long past thirst or hunger - her stomach did not growl, and her throat, though burning with dryness, was easy to ignore. Why should she care? Her thoughts were outside of her motionless body, back in that hospital, with the helpless human girl. She should be there now. Why wasn't she? Batman. He'd made the right decision. She should not be flying around in her condition. She still hated it. Hated that she was stuck here in this cave while Cassidy lay dying only a few short miles away. So close, yet so desperately unreachable.

A soft knocking shattered Angel's train of thought. She felt a twitch of annoyance at that, accompanied by a twinge of pain between her eyes. Her headaches were more frequent now, more intense. They had begun to worry her.

"Angel?" M'gann's voice called out to her. "Angel, are you alright in there?"

Angel rolled her head on the pillow, gazing at the blank surface of the door. She made no effort to respond. Something inside of her, that second awareness that she had spoken about with Diana, told her that she was being a fool. She'd done something stupid. She had to get over it... and yet that second voice was silenced by the fear and the grief which had reached her. _Pathetic_.

"You haven't eaten anything, have you? I brought you some food..."

With a quiet sigh Angel turned her face back into her pillow. She had no need of food. Especially not if she was going to be stuck in this room with nothing but her aching head to keep her company. There was no activity to be done here which needed to be sustained, no energy being spent.

"Come on, Angel," M'gann pleaded through the door. "We're all worried about you."

For a moment, silent stretched between Angel and the voice beyond the door. She closed her eyes, waiting for M'gann to leave. They all left eventually. No one liked talking to a wall.

"Why won't you let me in?" M'gann pleaded. Angel rolled her eyes slightly and sat up for the first time in days. The movement made her head spin, caused it to hurt even more than it already had. She set the heel of one hand against her temple to steady herself. "Please, Angel?"

_Get lost..._ Angel whispered in the back of her mind, in a voice which seemed nearly familiar to her. Cold, calm, collected, and more than a little annoyed, that voice sounded nothing like her own. Yet she knew it so very well... like an old friend. The voice of an old friend. But then why would that voice be speaking in the back of her mind?

"I'm coming in."

Angel, absorbed in her thoughts, nearly missed that announcement. She looked up, startled at the statement. M'gann would never be so forceful, would sh-

Apparently, as the door slid open to admit her, she would. M'gann stood with a tray balanced on her palm, gazing at Angel, who perched on her bed like a bird on a twig, poised for flight and yet with no intention of moving. Angel covered one eye with her hand, the light from the hallway beyond hurting her skull. She knew she must look like shit, her hair unbrushed, cheeks pale and hollow, with deep shadows beneath lifeless eyes. The life had simply fled from her. Angel, without memories, had never dealt with grief before. She did not know _how _to deal with it. M'gann's expression, horrified, told her without a doubt that she was not dealing well at all.

"Angel," M'gann whispered. She glanced around, searching for a place to lay the meal which Angel was determined she would not eat. It ended up on Angel's practically unused desk, and in seconds the Martian was crouched beside Angel's bed. "Are you okay?" Angel just stared at her, unamused. "No, no, of course you're not..."

Fidgeting anxiously, M'gann moved to sit on the bed beside Angel. Apart from moving one wing out of M'gann's way, Angel hardly acknowledged her presence.

"Hey, listen," M'gann started awkwardly, not sure what she could say to make Angel feel better. "Everyone's worried about you... you have to take care of yourself..."

Angel made a small sound at the back of her throat and pushed off of the bed. She stumbled, nearly fell when her head spun. Low blood sugar...

"Go away, M'gann," she whispered. M'gann flinched.

"But Angel, you're only hurting yourself this way!"

"Go away!" Angel repeated, spinning to face her friend. Her voice shot up, louder than she had probably ever raised it. M'gann could do nothing but watch her. Angel turned her face quickly away, unable to stare M'gann down. "I don't need your help."

"But Angel-" M'gann started.

"GO!" Angel snapped. M'gann swallowed tightly, but it was all too clear Angel wanted no help from her. She stood, nodding and biting her lip to keep her emotions down.

"Then... I'll... talk to you later," she whispered, before turning and hurrying out of the room. She walked, absorbed in her worries, all the way back to the kitchen where the others waited before realizing that she had left the tray behind. Hopefully, Angel would decide to eat something.

The others were all still there, where she had left them, collected as they often were on the sofas in the kitchen. She hesitated before entering the room, knowing that her news about Angel would set off a chain reaction that the amnesiac would not appreciate. Clearly, she did not want to be visited, and much less persuaded to get over what had happened. M'gann had no choice, however. If she stayed away too long the others would probably come looking for her. She shouldn't have told them where she was going in the first place.

Swallowing her qualms, M'gann stepped back into the kitchen. Quiet conversations drew to a close as she approached, and the others all turned to greet her.

"Well?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow. M'gann shook her head slightly.

"I had to force my way through the door," she murmured. "She's a wreck."

"Yeah not eating for days will do that to you," Artemis pointed out.

"I don't think she's slept, either," M'gann agreed. "She doesn't look like Angel."

"She _isn't_ Angel." Everyone looked around, shocked by the flat statement from Robin. "Not if she even kicked _you_ out. You, at least, should have been able to talk to her."

"She's distraught," M'gann murmured.

"Then she needs to get traught," Robin observed flatly. "She's not some common girl who can afford to be distracted."

"Traught," Artemis muttered. "What is it with you and that word?"

"What are we going to do about Angel?" M'gann interrupted. The team turned their attention back to her.

"Perhaps if one of us tried?" Kaldur suggested quietly. "She may simply require encouragement."

"Or _maybe_ she'll just kick us out! If she kicked out M'gann, then there's no way the rest of us have a chance!," Wally pointed out.

"It's better than doing nothing," M'gann retorted, a note of desperation in her voice.

"Why doesn't Jake or Conner go? She seems to like them," Artemis suggested.

"Since Jake and Angel are pretty much married anyways," Wally joked. Jake responded with a glare, and a... vulgar mouth motion as a response.

"Come on, guys!" M'gann protested. "This is serious!"

"Calm thy tits. I'll see if she'll listen to me," Jake said, getting up. "Maybe I should bring Conner just as insurance."

"Riiiiiight, bring your _boyfriend_ along," Wally teased again. Jake merely winked in response.

"Please try?" M'gann pleaded.

"O'course, o'course! I'll let you know the verdict," Jake said as he grabbed his crutches and left the room.

Angel had returned to her place, lying across her bed, face-down to avoid lying on her wings. In the absence of company, and desperate to remove her thoughts from Cassidy, and from the hospital, she had picked out the first thing which popped into her head. Gavin. She had not seen the oddity in a while. Crazy though he was, she found she missed him. He, at least, seemed to understand something about her. She wanted her memories back. She had never wanted them more than she did now. Perhaps if she could recover them, she would not be so helpess. But of course, Batman had caged her in the cave. There was no escaping now, no flying out to hunt Gavin down, no searching for her memories. She was stuck in the cave, and she had confined herself further to her own rooms. There was only one clue she had left. Na'shak. _His name was Na'shak_. That was the only real hint Gavin had given her. Not very useful. Who was this mysterious 'he'? Was he somewhere on Earth? Could she find him?

Would he know how to restore her past?

Once again, a soft knock on the door interrupted her. Angel turned her head to glare at the door, then realized what she was doing. That was not like her... she turned her head around again, curling up on her side on the mattress and covering herself with one wing. All which was visible, now, was a mass of white feathers. She refused to answer the door.

It came as no real surprise to her when Jake, like M'gann, forced the issue. The door opened without her permission.

"Man you're really taking this hard. But brooding is Batman's job, and I don't like anyone else pouting besides Conner. Because his pout is so- I mean. Ehem! Back to the point. You need some sunlight. You'll be an albino soon," Jake said.

Angel did not stir, did not remove the covering of her wing. Maybe if she pretended to sleep he would go away, and she could go back to her thoughts. Na'shak... who was Na'shak?

"I'm not M'gann. Come on, you need a hug," Jake said as he made his way over to the bed. He placed his crutches on the floor and sat on the bed. "I know what you're going through. And before you say I don't, I do. Mom died at age ten, remember? Blamed myself for years. Because I guess... It was my fault."

Irritation pressed on Angel's temples, made them throb harder. She clenched her teeth, slowly lowering her wing to peer up across its edge. Her eyes were like ice - not Angel's eyes.

"Get lost."

"Gotta try harder than that," Jake replied nonchalantly. Angel hissed, an oddly inhuman sound, and in a flash uncurled. She rose from the bed, staring down at him irritably.

"Why won't you people just leave me the fuck alone?"

"Because that's not what friends do. I get it. You're hurting, and you feel... Well, awful. But you've been shut in here for days. You've had your alone time. You need comforting. You don't have to accept it, but it's not leaving either. Your choice," Jake stated. Angel wrinkled her nose in disgust and strode over to where M'gann had left the tray. She picked up the glass of orange juice, staring at it, disinterested. She would end the conversation there, if he gave her any choice. "Sigh. This is clearly going to take a while, isn't it?"

Angel glanced at him.

"Leave," she repeated quietly. Somehow, there was something dangerous in her voice. Something... not Angel-like at all.

"Here's a question: Why do you insist on going through this alone when it's _obvious _you can't handle it by yourself?" Jake asked.

"I'm fine," she muttered. Her fist tightened around the orange juice glass, knuckles turning white.

"Angel. I know you well enough to tell when you're lying. Let me help you. I'm here now, and that's what matters right? You-_We_ can get through this together. Just try," Jake said. He stared intently at her.

Angel's headache spiked, propelled by the anger. Anger at what, exactly, she was not sure. It did not matter. The jagged spear of white-hot pain brought with it the briefest flash of images, something from a time she should have known. She tried to cling to that image, but it would not stick. Gone as quickly as it had come. She stood for a moment, staring straight ahead, at the empty wall. It took her a moment to realize that in that short instant the glass in her hand had shattered, blood mixing with orange juice and running down her hand.

"Oh jesus, that's pleasant. Here, I'll bind that for you," Jake said. He grabbed his crutches off the floor, and made his way over to her. He pulled out a handkerchief he just happened to have in his pocket, and reached for her hand. Angel jerked away from his touch, staring at the cuts in her hand, fascinated by the color. It reminded her of something. "Hey. You're bleeding. I don't think I have to remind you that it's not a _good _thing to be bleeding. At least not from that part of your body." Jake lightly took her hand, and began wrapping the cloth around it. She held still this time, watching him work. In the wake of her fury came remarkable calm.

"I can't do this," she whispered flatly. "He promised he would help me."

"Well... Will you let me try?" Jake asked softly. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be here. No matter what they say."

"You can't," Angel answered, stepping out from under his hand once more. Her wings began beating out a soft breeze, her mood contemplative. "He promised to help restore my memories." Her injured hand clenched into a fist at her side. She hardly noticed the pain. "But how can he do that if I'm stuck in HERE!" Her voice rose, building until it ended in a shout. Angel never shouted.

"Angel," Jake said softly. He was surprised by her outburst. "I may not be able to help you with your memories. But I don't think staying in your room and not interacting with other people is how you solve it." He reached out again, and returned his hand to her shoulder.

Angel's reaction was out of her control. There was no thought involved - something else acted for her, that second consciousness she had spoken of to Wonder Woman. Diana had told her not to worry. She should have worried. At the instant of Jake's touch, she twisted around, striking him hard with the back of her hand. Balanced on his crutches, he had no chance. He toppled to the floor. He landed hard on his injured leg, letting out a small cry of pain. The sound shook something inside Angel. The second awareness receded, and she stared down at him, wide-eyed.

"Jake," she whispered in panic.

"JAKE!" Conner yelled, running into the room. He spotted Jake on the ground instantly. Rushing over to him, and picking him up bridal style. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I... Uhh... Tripped?" Jake replied. He winced in pain. That had really hurt his leg. "I'm fine. No actual damage it just hurts like a bitch."

"Tripped my ass," Conner replied. That's when he spotted the redness on Jake's cheek. The obvious sign of an assault. He gave Angel a look that would have threatened Batman himself. She started to rock back a step, to retreat... but something inside would not allow it. She stood her ground. "You. You did this. What the hell is your problem? He just wanted to help!"

"You think I know the answer to that?" she demanded, her voice deadly calm. Her wings had stilled. She stood with her chin raised, defiant. Even frail as she was, it looked impressive. And nothing like she had ever looked before.

"Conner, Conner calm down," Jake said. He lightly touched Conner's cheek. "Nothing happened. I'm _fine." _

Angel glanced between them, and was surprised to find herself disgusted. By Jake's sympathy towards her, mostly. She did not want to be _understood_. She just didn't want to be held here anymore.

"I'm out of here," she hissed, turning and heading for her door. Her wings were beating again, agitated, stirring up a strong wind.

"Fine. But when you get back, you and I are gonna-," Conner started.

"Conner. Stop," Jake interrupted. "Just let her go. I've done enough."

Angel had stopped in the doorway. She stood for a moment, staring straight ahead, registering what Conner had started to say. Then she turned.

"You and I are going to _what_?" she asked him coldly.

"You hurt Jake. You do it again, and I _will _come after you," Conner threatened. It wasn't an answer.

Angel smirked slightly at that. Somewhere inside she was screaming at herself, for pissing off a Kryptonian, but whomever it was who had risen to the surface ignored that intelligence.

"Good luck," she whispered. "I seem to remember that _you_ can't fly."

"_I _seem to remember that your bones can break. You can't hurt me. Even if you tried," Conner challenged. He slowly put Jake down on the floor. Jake stayed silent. He knew neither would listen to him at this point. He just had to sit there and watch.

"Careful, Conner. Daddy might-" Angel did not get to finish her sentence. Pain blinded her, sharper than a knife stabbed through the nape of her neck. She staggered against the doorframe with a cry of shock and agony. Even a blow from a Kryptonian hand should not have hurt that much, not a light one, but there was something else here. She couldn't see, couldn't think. Images...

With a scream, she dropped to her knees, curling in on herself with her hands on her head.

"Angel!" Jake cried. He scrambled over to her. He wrapped her into a hug. "What's wrong? What the hell is going on?" Conner's eyes widened. He looked shocked and a little guilty at what he would have done had their conflict risen any further.

"Don't-... Can't-... Aah!" Angel wailed, shuddering. She could not form a coherent sentence, or even a coherent word. Pictures danced before her, sounds blared in her ears. Clouds and wings, laughter, stone pillars, flying, screaming wind, a thunderstorm, knives, blood... so much blood... Her eyes flew wide and her breath caught in her chest, panicked.

"Okay... Okay, think Jake think. You can fix this... You can help her. You can make everything better. But... Godammit, HOW!" Jake yelled.

The image of a face burst before Angel's eyes - a young face, pale skin tight across strong, fine features, framed by sprays of dark hair and black feathers. One of her kind. Someone familiar. Beneath the pain, the image conjured emotions. Love and lust in not-so-equal measure, unfamiliar sensations that pushed her heart rate up, somehow, even further. With each pound of blood through her skull the pain increased. She did not know how it could possibly hurt any more. She screamed again, but never finished voicing that agony. Her voice failed her, and she flopped limply into Jake's chest. Shuddering. Unconscious.

"Angel. Angel! Did she pass out? She passed out. Fuck!" Jake exclaimed. He shook her roughly. "Wakey wakey? Or we could try... WAKE THE FUCK UP GODDAMMIT!"

At first, Angel was perfectly still, silent as the dead. When Jake shouted, however, she flinched slightly, turning away from the noise. Her wings stirred, independent of her consciousness, as though trying to beat of their own accord. Trying to lift her off of the ground. One opened, spanning nine feet on its own, and flapped weakly against the tile floor.

She opened her eyes, bright blue and dazed.

"She's awake," Conner said awkwardly. He was kneeling next to her.

"Ch'yeah. About time! You were gone for a solid... Minute or so. Long time no see~," Jake said happily. Angel blinked slowly at him, confused.

"What... happened?" she asked quietly, sitting up. She ran a shaking hand through her hair as she searched for the last few minutes of memory.

"You... Passed out?" Jake answered. He gave Conner a confused look, and got one from him in return.

"I... passed out..." she repeated quietly, frowning. Some memories filtered back through, but mostly it was a blur. A painful one. "Are you okay?

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Jake asked her back.

"Your leg," Angel answered, sitting up, away from him.

"What about it?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"It's broken," she murmured, twisting around onto her knees to stare at him. "Didn't I hurt you?"

"Yeah it _hurt_, but it didn't do any actual damage. Y'know... I'm still wondering why I didn't go into shock when it broke to begin with," Jake replied absentmindedly.

"You should have," Angel answered. Almost absentmindedly she reached out and laid her palm across his leg, letting her power flow in the form of heat through her touch.

"Yeah I should have, that's the weird part. Maybe it's... Nevermind. Anyways. Guess it's clear that I can take a nice beating and be fine," Jake said.

"Doesn't mean I want you to," Conner interrupted.

"No one should want him to," Angel put in quietly. She drew a deep breath, threading more energy down through his leg, finding the break and slowly sealing it.

"Yeah, and I'm not letting it happen again," Conner declared. Jake snorted at him.

"But you're such a teddybear," Jake teased.

It was then that Angel felt the last thread of bone seal back into place. She sat back on her heels and raised one hand to rub tiredly over her eyes. It took a lot of energy to heal even a minor break.

"You done?" Conner asked.

"Done," she agreed quietly, looking up at Jake. "How does it feel?"

"Let's see," Jake said. He slowly got to his feet. He wobbled a little bit, and Conner was ready to catch him. But Jake steadied himself. "Wow. It's healed! Angel you're really amazing at that!"

Angel smiled tiredly at him.

"That's what I do," she answered, coming to her feet as well. She had to beat her wings to hold herself up at first.

"Weeeeell, we'd better get going. Now that my legs work again Conner and I have... Unfinished business to attend to," Jake said making his way out. Conner grabbed Jake's crutches and looked confused.

"Business?" Conner asked. His eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"You'll see," Jake teased. Jake dragged Conner out of the room by the hand and the two quickly vanished down the hallway. Angel gazed after them for a moment, wondering. Should she go find the others...?

Settling her wings carefully onto her back and running her fingers through her hair once or twice to straighten it out, she followed Jake and Conner through the door. She knew where she would find the others. They would had gathered in the kitchen together, to chat and probably to worry about her. She felt bad for making them worry. What had come over her, she could not have said. She wondered if Gavin might know... if this was something from her past that he could understand. Then again, what good would it do her if he _did_ know? He never gave her a straight answer anyways.

She rounded the corner, peering into the kitchen, and sighed in relief when she found them all there. Swallowing her fears and biting her lip, she stepped through the door.

"Hey," she called quietly, twisting her hands together.

"Hey Angel," Artemis waved casually.

"Oh hey! She's alive!" Wally said.

"It is good to see you are feeling better," Kaldur agreed.

"You could... Use a little make-over though," Artemis pointed out. Angel flushed slightly and touched her hair.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I'm... kind of a wreck, I guess."

"Ehhh it's not that bad," Robin chimed in.

"So... I take it Jake helped out then. I was gonna go see what was up when Conner suddenly took off like that, but I guess the Wall-man's brilliance wasn't needed," Wally said. Angel smiled at him.

"He helped," she agreed. "I'm... sorry about this whole thing..."

"No need to tell us," Robin said, smirking. "I think you know who really deserves an apology."

Angel glanced at him, nervous.

"Was she angry?" she whispered.

"Wouldn't say _angry_... But she wasn't happy," Wally answered for Robin. Which got him a glare from the Boy Wonder. "What?"

"Does anyone know where she went?" Angel pressed.

"She's probably in her room. That'd be my first guess," Wally replied again.

"I... I'll see you all later, okay?" Angel asked, glancing into the hallway behind her, eager to hunt M'gann down.

"Yep," Robin replied.

"Good luck friend," Kaldur said.

"See ya, beautiful!" Wally waved. Angel did not actually hear him. She had already turned and whisked through the door. She made her way quickly to M'gann's room, blind to the world around her. Someone could have shouted her name at the top of their lungs and the winged amnesiac would not have hesitated in her step. In that instant M'gann was the only thing on her mind. She did not allow herself to hesitate outside the Martian's door, raising one hand and knocking lightly, hoping M'gann would actually be there.

"I-It's open," a broken voice replied. Angel's eyebrows pinched together in concern. M'gann hardly sounded like M'gann. She hesitated for an instant, before opening the door and peering inside.

The room was nearly as dark as Angel's had been for days. Her eyes adjusted easily to the illumination of a single corner light. She had not spent much time here, surprising though that may have been. The layout was familiar, in many ways, to her own room. With the exception of the Martian curled up, sobbing, on the bed. Angel's breath caught in her throat and she stepped through the door, letting it close behind her wings.

"M'gann," she whispered.

"Hi, Angel. Sorry I'm such a mess, I just-," M'gann couldn't finish her sentence. Angel's throat grew thick at the sight of her friend's face. She had come here to apologize, but her intentions fled from her mind as she crossed the room and sat on the bed beside M'gann.

"Hey," she whispered, laying her hand on M'gann's shoulder, as Jake had done for her a short time before. Hopefully this would not end the same way. M'gann threw herself at Angel, and cried into her chest. Angel wrapped her arms around M'gann. Her wings formed a sort of protective curtain around them.

"I know I shouldn't feel this way... He-He loves Jake! But... I've been so lost and confused this whole time! I've never felt this way before, I-I don't know what to do!" the Martian cried. Angel just held M'gann tighter, feeling her shake. Drawing strength from her sadness, in a way. As though the need to protect, in itself, was power. She ran her hand gently over M'gann's back.

"Shhh," she whispered, resting her cheek on the Martian's hair. "Breathe, M'gann. Just breathe."

"What should I do? Every time he's in the room, I just can't help but _stare _at him! I thought I had a chance, but then I... I saw him Jake on the Bioship a-and," M'gann lost the end of her sentence to quiet sobs once again.

"It'll be alright," Angel whispered, at a loss for what to say but knowing that she had to say _something_.

"But what if it's not? What happens if I never get over him? I don't think I can handle being around him so much anymore. I just feel so hopeless," M'gann said.

For a moment, Angel was silent. She gazed straight ahead at the wall of her white feathers, thinking. Searching. She had no references for this, nothing to go by in reassuring M'gann. No... no, that wasn't quite true. A vague recollection, more an echo of a feeling than any real memory. The feeling that she had once loved someone very, very much. Someone she could not remember.

"You should be glad for the time you have together," Angel answered, praying beyond all prayer that this would not do more harm than good. "Your memories are precious. The ones you have, and the ones you have yet to make."

"Yeah... Yeah you're right. I should just try to enjoy the friendship we have. Because... Any of us could go at anytime," M'gann agreed. Angel sighed quietly and ran her fingers through M'gann's hair.

"You're lucky," she whispered, "to be able to feel the way you do."

"I wish I could agree with you. But right now... I just can't see it that way," M'gann replied. Angel nodded slightly.

"I know."

"Sorry, I need to get a hold of myself," M'gann said.

"Don't apologize," Angel murmured. "This is what I'm here for."

"Yeah... You're a great friend, Angel. Thank you," M'gann whispered. She pulled herself off of Angel's chest, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Angel sat back as well, drawing open the shields of her wings and permitting the light to touch M'gann's face.

"Stay strong," she whispered, gazing steadily at the Martian.

"Yeah... I'll be fine," M'gann assured. Angel reached out, brushing a stray tear from M'gann's cheek. She nodded silently and pulled her wings tight to her back.

"I'm sorry for earlier," she told M'gann, her tone sincere. "I don't know what that was."

"It's fine. We're... Kind of even now," M'gann replied. Angel huffed softly.

"There was nothing _cruel_ in what _you_ were doing," she reminded the Martian, letting her lip twitch up in a slight smile. More of a smirk, really.

"Yeah but we both lost it. Emotionally," M'gann laughed softly. Angel nodded.

"It makes the others look normal," she observed. "How scary is that?"

"Pretty scary. We should do something. A girl's night out," M'gann suggested. "Or maybe a movie night."

"One problem," Angel slipped off the bed, gesturing to herself. "I'm under house arrest."

"So we can have a movie night," M'gann decided. "Just you and me."

"Alright. What do you want to watch?"

"Let's figure that out later," M'gann laughed. "Neither of us wants to do much thinking right now."

"That's true," Angel agreed, realizing as she said it that her head was spinning. The price of healing Jake, no doubt. And of eating nothing for several days... she sat down on the bed, quickly, before she had the chance to fall over.

"Are... You alright, Angel?" M'gann said. "You look dizzy. Are you sick?"

"I'll be fine," Angel answered, holding her head still. She raised one hand and set it to her temple. "I fixed Jake's leg." That was enough explanation in itself.

"Oh... So he's all better?" M'gann asked sadly. "I know I shouldn't be holding anything against him. But I can't help but be a little jealous... When I kissed Conner, and he kissed me back, I thought we had something. Like we had finally expressed our feelings. But... I was wrong."

Angel glanced sideways at M'gann. She'd kissed Conner? Well... that could be interesting. Angel wondered if Jake knew. Not that it mattered - this was not her secret to tell. No secret was. She turned her head straight again. Tilting it made her dizzier.

"Perhaps no one knows quite what to feel," she suggested calmly. "You're all new to this game. How can you possibly understand everything?"

"What do you mean _you're_ all new to this? Angel... Did you get your memories back?" M'gann asked.

"Not... really," Angel shook her head. "There have been... things. Feelings. But no memories... he hasn't helped me that much, yet." She sighed and shrugged. "I just know that... I've loved someone before."

"Oh... I wish I had that experience," M'gann replied. Angel grunted in response, not sure how to answer that. She hoped M'gann was referring to past loves, not amnesia. There was nothing either entertaining or informative about not knowing who the hell you had been for the first years of your life.

"Let's go... get a movie," she suggested, eager to divert the topic.

"Let's," M'gann agreed. Taking a deep breath Angel shoved herself off of the bed, beckoning for M'gann to follow her. The Martian, too, came to her feet, and together the girls headed out for the kitchen. It was a relief for Angel to find it abandoned. As much as she loved the others, she did not feel much like talking right now, and she knew M'gann must feel the same.

Angel left the room dark as she crossed to the shelf of movies next to the television. She crouched, reading through the titles in the dim light, while M'gann took her place on one of the couches.

"What sort of movie...?" Angel wondered aloud.

"Close your eyes and pick something," M'gann replied. "I could go for anything, really."

Angel did as she was told, reaching out and grabbing the first thing she laid her hands on. The cover had lions on it.

"What's this?" she asked, frowning and flipping it over. _The Lion King..._ She held it up for M'gann to see.

"Oh The Lion King!" M'gann said happily. "That is such a good movie, we have to watch it!"

Angel nodded, satisfied, and slipped the movie into the player. She turned and walked back to M'gann, joining her on the sofa.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

Thunder clouds swirled, blue-gray and green over the city of Northam. Lightning crackled in the distant, accompanied at the count of three by the low rumble of thunder. The rain had not yet begun, but the sky bulged ominously, pressing down upon the city, suffocating it. Citizens scattered before the threatening storm, retreating to the shelter of their homes. Tonight would be another quiet night for law-keepers. Fewer people on the street, fewer people getting hurt.

Night had reached its midpoint, and behind the clouds the silver disk of the moon flew high in the sky. Bathed in its light, a gap opened in the sky, like a small crack in a pane of glass. Slowly it expanded, the popping inaudible over the crash of distant thunder. Fingers of purple shadow slipped into the raindrop-laden sky, stretching out towards the tops of the roiling clouds, gathering them upwards. Energy thrilled the air, one world colliding with another, clashing. The tendrils recoiled, gathering back into their crevice, but not in time to stop one slender shape from plummeting into the sky.

He fell in a tangle of gray feathers and long limbs. Drops of water, just beginning to fall on Northam, collected on his skin and in his hair, mixing with thin trails of blood. He fell with closed eyes, limp and unaware of the pavement which shot up to meet him. Only a miracle could have kept him alive.

He was a man of fortune.

Moments after he fell through the crack in the sky, he was plummeting past the glowing windows of the top stories of skyscrapers. He shot straight past the great spire of a broadcasting station, just missed the glass-and-metal corner of the city's largest law firm. Flipping and tumbling, he made a fall which should have killed him many times over. He was still alive when he came down upon the cluster of overflowing trash-cans in Northam's darkest sector. The crash of crushed tin overlaid the sickening split of broken bones as his unconscious form bent to fit his landing space.

For a time, there was silence. He lay still, folded backwards across the top of a trashcan, one wing crooked, splattered in his own blood. By all means, once again, he should have died. He would have died. Had he been human. Like all of his race, however, his second heart beat strong now that the first had stopped. Kept him alive. Kept him breathing.

His eyes opened, bright yellow and dazed. He hauled on his muscles, struggled to right himself, but found that something had disconnected somewhere along his spine. He could not find his legs. Each breath spiked pain past his broken lungs. He cringed, irritated. One long hand crept around, claws grasping at his skin. He searched out the deep dent in his back where his spine had been severed. Unpleasant...

Gathering his arms underneath him, he shoved against the platform of trashcans which held him. Slowly he raised his torso, a separate body from his legs. He needed to fix that break, straighten it out, or it would heal that way. He drew another shivering breath, whimpering as a broken rib dug against his lung. He placed one hand on his chest, braced himself with the other, and pressed. His spine came together with an audible crack. He nearly screamed as the pain blinded him, paralyzed his brain. It took more willpower than he had thought he had to choke that noise down. By the time his thoughts came back to focus, he could already feel the gentle, itching thrum as his bones knit back together.

Slowly he came to his feet, left wing dragging, useless, behind him. Dark hair flopped into his eyes as he peered around the street, searching for some clue of where he was. Was he meant to be here? He had no name to put to himself, let alone this place of dark pathways and fake lights. From a distance the low roar of life reached his ears. So wherever he had landed, he wasn't alone? Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, he could not be sure. He hoped beyond hope that the people here would be friendly.

Swallowing his fears he turned on one heel and struck out, limping slightly, towards the first orb of light he saw. Someone here must be able to direct him to the authorities... perhaps someone here might even be able to tell him who he was.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: NEW CHARACTER! You guys are going to like him. We had a lot of fun developing him... In one of our many meetings where we discuss completely important things. Hahahahaaaaa no. SO. WE HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ALL. YamamotoAmeko wants to know: Is there anything you want to happen in Angel's love-life? Who do you want her to end up with? ANSWER IN YOUR REVIEW, KAY? KAY. See ya next time for Jake's chapter! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Sorry for the longer than usual wait. I had MONSTER writer's block when trying to do this. It takes place during episode 15, where they meet Zatanna. AND she will be a bigger part of the story because I absolutely love her to death. This chapter has some SuperJake fluff, and yadda yadda. The plot for both REALLY jump-starts after this chapter. Sooooo enjoy. **

* * *

><p>"Pineapple juice!" Captain Marvel said. He handed Wally a glass of the aforementioned liquid. Wally sat in a reclining chair, and sipped at his new treat.<p>

"Just what the doctor ordered," Wally sighed happily.

"How's the arm doing, Wally?" Captain Marvel asked.

"Ehhh nothing wrong nachos can't cure," Wally hinted.

"Nachos? Oh! I'll go get ya some!" Captain Marvel took off down in flight. Wally turned his attention to his sparring teammates. Artemis against Robin, and M'gann against Kaldur. He looked over and spotted Jake teaching Superboy the basics of sword play.

"Alright. So try this move," Jake said as he demonstrated. It was a simple horizontal slash. Jake looked over at Conner as he mimicked the movement perfectly. "Nice! We might just make a swordsman out of you, yet!"

"Thanks," Conner said awkwardly. He tried the swing again, and did it perfectly. "Could you... Show me that other move? The one you're always doing?"

"You mean this?" Jake asked. He spun the sword around his body and then thrust it into the floor. Using the now steady object, he gripped it tightly with both hands and spun himself around on it. It was used a sweep attack, because he's normally kicking. Jake landed with style, and then pried his sword out of the floor. "It's pretty advanced. Took me weeks to get it."

"Didn't want to learn it. Just wanted to see you do it," Conner shrugged. Jake winked at him. "I think I'm good with my fists." He held out the sword to Jake. The sword floated out of Conner's hands and into Jake's.

"Good. Your destructiveness is kinda sexy," Jake said. Conner blushed a little at the word 'sexy'.

"Hey. I wanted to-" Conner started.

"Good work, everyone. In fact it's been a very productive week," Black Canary said.

"Yeah, for everyone except Kid Malingerer," Artemis replied gesturing at Wally.

"Hey! Arm broken in combat against the Injustice League, here!" Wally said. He waved his cast around to emphasize his point. Jake wondered if he _knew _about Angel's healing powers.

"Mhmm. I must say I've really enjoyed being your uh... Den Mother this week," Black Canary reported. The rest of the team gathered around her to listen to what she was saying.

"**Recognized: Zatara 1-1" **the computer announced. The Magician didn't even utter a greeting. He made a beeline for the zeta-computer and began typing on it. "**Access granted: Zatanna Zatara A-03. Authorization: Zatara 1-1." **

"Zatanna, this is the team. Team? My daughter, Zatanna," Zatara said. M'gann was the first to make a move. Jake started his 'You're new so I don't trust you' mode.

"Hi, I'm-" M'gann started.

"Robin! Ehem. I mean... _I'm _Robin. Ehe. She's Megan. Uhh and that's Wally, Artemis, Kaldur, Conner, and Jake," Robin jumped in. Jake was leaning on Conner's shoulder, putting on his best poker face. But behind his mask, the smile did not his eyes.

"Welcome to The Cave," Kaldur greeted.

"Uh, thanks," Zatanna replied shyly.

"So! Are y-y-ya joining the team?" Robin asked anxiously.

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves, this is strictly a visit. Though I _am_ sorry we missed the training. It's something from which Zatanna could benefit," Zatara said to Black Canary.

"**Do the rest of you still get the impression we're still on probation with Zatara?**" M'gann asked through the link.

"**Not just Zatara. I mean, why's Marvel still hangin' around?**" Conner asked.

"**Because we **_**like **_**having him around,**" Wally replied.

"_**You**_** like having him around 'cause he waits on you hand and foot,**" Artemis corrected.

"**And your point is...**" Wally replied.

"**It almost makes one nostalgic for Red Tornado's tenure as our supervisor,**" Kaldur said.

"**Yeah. At least he trusted us,**" Robin agreed.

"**If you ignore the fact we shouldn't have trusted **_**him. **_**He was a traitor! That machine nearly got Ja-all of us killed!**" Conner countered. Jake elbowed him softly.

"Are... You guys having a psychic conversation?" Zatanna asked out of the blue. The team, Black Canary, and Zatara all looked at each other awkwardly. "Cause... I can't decide if that's_ cool _or... Really rude." The team shared another awkward eye contact orgy. Conner looked over at Zatara and Black Canary before answering.

"Alright fine! We were talkin' about Tornado. It's been _weeks _since his attack, and the League hasn't told us _anything,_" Conner said.

"The League is searching for Tornado. As well as the other androids that invaded The Cave _and _their creator T.O Morrow. Batman's made tracking them down our _highest _priority," Black Canary replied.

"But you've found none of the above!" Robin accused.

"Not _yet. _But Tornado is Justice League, the team is _not _to pursue this," Black Canary ordered.

"Why don't you all take Zatanna on a uh... Tour of The Cave," Zatara suggested. Jake noticed Robin looking around. Had he... Really lost track of Zatanna that fast? Jake hadn't taken his eyes off of her. She was laying on Wolf, petting him. He did like her personality but his initial instinct was always distrust.

"Ah! You're a giving a tour? Cool!" Captain Marvel said. He walked in carrying a plate of nachos.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd take Wolf outside. He needs the exercise... We'll join you in a few," Conner denied. Jake was still leaning on Conner's shoulder and trying not to laugh. He loved it when Conner did that.

"Sure sure! I can do that! C'mon, Wolf!" Captain Marvel said happily. He took off jogging down the hallway, Wolf in tow.

"But-wha-wha what about my nachos?" Wally whined. Conner grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him out of the room. The team went down a different hallway. Conner discreetly took Jake's hand in his own. Jake could feel Zatanna's eyes on them.

"Are those two..." Zatanna whispered to Robin. Robin glanced back at the two boys.

"Oh them? Ohhh yeah big time. I wouldn't bring it up though. They're trying to be discreet," Robin replied. Zatanna raised an eyebrow in response.

"Right... Discreet," she replied sarcastically.

"Has... Anybody seen Angel anywhere?" Artemis asked.

"Now that you mention it... Nope," Jake chimed in.

"Angel?" Zatanna asked.

"Another member of the team. We'll probably find her wandering the halls somewhere," Jake replied. Jake was trying his absolute hardest not to immediately like Zatanna. Why was it so damn hard to _not _like her?

"So... You're Jake, right? What are your powers?" she asked. Jake raised an eyebrow, and his swords came spinning violently out of their holsters on his waist. They hovered above him in an intimidating fashion.

"Telekinesis, impressive. Without even lifting a finger, too. Wow," Zatanna said. She sounded legitimately impressed. The team kept walking down the hallway. Jake returned his swords to their holsters. Then he and Conner had broken out into a secret poke war.

"Wow. He likes you," Artemis whispered to Zatanna.

"Who, Jake?" Zatanna asked in response.

"Yeah. He generally treats guests and newbies like a curse on humanity. Should've seen him when _I _joined," Artemis smirked as she remembered them glaring at each other.

"Who's this?" Angel's voice came from further up the hall. She walked towards them, eyes alight at the sight of Zatanna, wings sweeping at her back. She was notoriously Jake's opposite - she loved new people.

"I'm Zatanna," the girl replied.

"And no... Contrary to popular belief, she is _not _in fact a relative of the Hawks," Jake jumped in. Why did he feel the need to tell her that? He wasn't supposed to like her yet. He leaned against Conner again. He felt a poke at his sides, and jumped a little. Jumper Cables. Jake returned the poke, to which Conner replied by twitching. The poke war continued. Angel glanced at the pair of them, smiled, and turned back to the conversation.

"My name is Angel," she told Zatanna, stepping forwards and offering her hand.

"Nice to uh... Meet you," Zatanna replied softly. She took the winged girl's hand and shook it. Angel laughed softly.

"Are you giving her a tour?" she directed the question at the room in general, never sure who was going to answer.

"That's the plan," Robin replied. The group continued to move down the hallway. They moved in mostly silence until Zatanna flatly broke it.

"We're not _really _taking a tour, are we?" Zatanna asked.

"No. We're hunting down that robot," Conner replied. He looked over at Kaldur and got a nod in agreement.

"Yes. We are," Kaldur said.

"Ooh wow. Outloud and everything," Zatanna smirked.

"But what about new girl?" Artemis asked.

"I'm sure she won't tell," Robin answered with a slight laugh.

"I can't tell. Not if you _kidnap _me," Zatanna hinted. Angel smiled her approval at that.

"Oh she's gonna fit in great," Artemis approved. Jake gave in. He liked her. She was just too much like them.

"Soooo to the Bipship then?" Wally suggested.

"You have to _change _first," Jake replied. Wally looked down at himself.

"Oh yeah," the speedster said. He was gone, and then back. Literally in a flash.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say he's Kid Flash," Zatanna said.

"In the flesh, babe," Wally winked.

"Wally. _Must _you?" Jake asked rhetorically. But of course, Wally answered it.

"What? I'm chatty. It's part of my charm," Wally replied.

"Feel like that's something Robin would say..." Jake muttered under his breath. "In fact I swear I've heard him say that somewhere."

"Let us proceed," Kaldur reminded them. The team collectively nodded and headed for the Bioship. Boarding, seating, and the like were done with relative silence. Zatanna seemed... Pretty used to all this stuff. Of course... Her dad was a member of the Justice League. He worked with Martian Manhunter on a daily basis. That had to be something. They flew out of the base, and were a about halfway across Happy Harbor.

"M'gann... The Bioship wasn't authorized for departure," Black Canary said over the comm.

"We're kidnapping Zatanna! Eh-uhh... To show her Happy Harbor... Be back soon!" M'gann lied.

"Roger that. Uh... Have fun," Black Canary replied.

"Where are we going?" Wally asked.

"Batman is the world's greatest detective. And he searched for Tornado and Morrow in every logical location. If we're gonna do better we need an illogical solution," Robin answered. Then he turned to face Wally. "A truly _dumb _idea." The rest of the team and Zatanna all turned to look at Wally.

"As a matter of fact," Wally said proudly. "Why don't we go check on Ivo in Belle Reve? I bet he knows where T.O Morrow is hiding."

"That... Actually might work," Robin agreed.

"Belle Reve it is," M'gann said. She turned the Bioship and headed in that direction.

-YOUNG JUSTICE-

"Warden Strange owed us a favor for stopping last month's prison break. He's given us five minutes with you," M'gann said. She had her hands on the table in front of Ivo.

"Spill, Ivo! How do we find T.O Morrow and his Reds?" Conner demanded.

"Now why in the world would _I _know how to find Morrow?" Ivo countered.

"Because, and here's a truly dumb idea; Because you're Morrow's biggest competitor in the evil android game. Who better to keep track of what he's up to, and where?" Wally replied.

"Ah. I see your point. So let me rephrase. Why in the world would I _tell _you where to find Morrow?" Ivo asked.

"He knows. Do what you must," Kaldur said, stepping forward. He looked over at M'gann. Her eyes began to glow green. A sign that she was using her telepathy.

"Oh please. As if I've never faced a telepath, before," Ivo said. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Trulb tuo S'worrom eurt noitacol!" Zatanna said.

"Morrow's in a secret underground base beneath Yellowstone National Park one hundred meters south of Old Faithful," Ivo said quickly. The entire team just stood there, shocked at what had just happened. "W-Wait! What just happened?"

"I think we got our answer," Zatanna said. She had her hands on her hips.

"Wow. Uh. Okay. Let's go," Jake said. Slowly inching his way towards to door. He was NEVER going to let her pull that one on him.

"I agree with Sacrifice," Wally said.

"Our time's pretty much up anyways," Robin agreed. The team left Belle Reve without another word. Upon boarding the Bioship, Jake lagged behind slightly. He really had no interest in doing this mission. He liked Red Tornado, sure, but... Why all this huge life-risking effort to find him? Ugh. He just wanted to go home, snuggle up on the couch, and watch movies all night. Yeah... That sounded nice. Maybe he'd invite Conner over too. Alright. That's the plan. Jake boarded the Bioship and found a seat.

"Yellowstone National Park, huh? I've never been there," M'gann said.

"Me either," Conner replied.

"Well we're not going to sightsee. We're going to fine T.O Morrow _and _Red Tornado," Robin interrupted. "What's our current ETA?"

"We'll be there at around eight PM," M'gann answered. Jake got out of seat and stretched. He wandered over to Conner's chair and motioned for him to follow. Conner obliged. Jake lead Conner to the back of the Bioship, away from the others.  
>"What's up?" Conner asked. He leaned against the side of the ship. Jake could tell Conner was already worrying over some... Senseless thing.<p>

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over tonight... Y'know, spend the night? Order pizza, watch a few movies, and just... Have fun?" Jake asked. Conner shrugged. "I just feel like we haven't had time to really be boyfriends, and do... That sort of thing."

"You always come first," Conner said. He pulled Jake closer and kissed him quickly. "Sure. Sounds great." Jake smiled.

"You know... You're always out of character around me," Jake pointed out.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Conner asked. He was faking being offended.

"Not saying it's a bad thing," Jake said. He placed his hands on Conner's chest. "Just that when you're around everyone else; you're all angsty, angry, pouty, and you brood. Whereas around me... You're nice, you smile, you laugh, and you're such a teddybear."

"Well maybe it's because I love you," Conner replied in a flirtatious manner.

"Well maybe I love you back," Jake said, equally as flirtatious. "Besides, if I didn't have you over, Isara would probably throttle me. She's been desperate for more of my friends to come over." Conner laughed quietly.

"Especially Wally?" he asked.

"_Especially _Wally," Jake answered.  
>-YOUNG JUSTICE-<p>

The Bioship landed in the hangar area of The Cave, and the team slowly exited. They knew they were in a crap ton of trouble. They blatantly _lied _to Black Canary and kidnapped Zatara's daughter. Jake and Conner however, were not planning on getting caught up in that mess. They had other plans. It was just a little after ten o'clock.

"Man I am soooo not looking forward to this," Wally said.

"Oh _you're _not. I'm probably grounded for life," Zatanna replied. Jake and Conner snuck down a hallway. Conner was leading the way on this one.

"Kon, where are we going?" Jake whispered.. What? He liked that nickname. It just sort of... Suited him.

"There's another zeta-beam down here. M'gann and I found it. It's never used," Conner whispered back. They had escaped unnoticed. Even by Robin. They continued to creep down the dark hallway. "Here." The holographic computer popped up, and Conner began typing in Jake's address. He'd only used it a couple of times, but he had Jake's zeta coordinates memorized.

"**Recognized: Superboy B-04, Sacrifice B-08**," the computer announced. They arrived in Isara's secret basement room. Their escape successful.

"Alright. We made it. Let the relaxation begin!" Jake said. He stretched his arms way over his head. The pair made their way upstairs and into the kitchen.

"Wait here, I'm gonna go grab my laptop so we can order some pizza."

"Okay," Conner said. He pouted slightly. Jake quickly went up the stairs and grabbed his laptop. Only when he heard his cloak flutter behind him did he realize he was still in his uniform. He quickly fixed that problem. He changed into loose fitting sweat pants, and a large t-shirt. He didn't realize this was one of Conner's shirt when he put it on. He grabbed his laptop once again, and then trudged down the stairs. He went right back to the kitchen to find Conner looking at a framed picture.

It was of Isara and himself. She was leaning on Jake's head, smiling widely, and doing the "peace" sign. Jake was smiling too, looking up at her. It was from the Fourth of July that year. Jake didn't remember who took the picture. But he did have a really great time that day. Conner was looking at it. He looked... Sad, almost. Jake opened his laptop, and then put it down on the counter. He wandered over to Conner and wrapped his arms around the Superboy's shoulders from behind.

"That was during the Fourth of July this year. Isara and I went to go look at the fireworks," Jake replied. "It was one of the best moments we've had as a family since my mom's death."

"Wish I had a family," Conner replied sadly. Jake smiled softly. He took the picture, feeling the old frame's detailed wood-work beneath his fingertips. He put it down softly, the soft "clink" of it meeting the counter was the only sound that was heard.

"I know you don't like to think about it... But you have Superman," Jake said. Conner turned around to look at Jake. Jake reached up and lightly stroked Conner's face. He felt the soft skin and yet firm muscle and jaw line that was his boyfriend's indestructible face.

"Yeah, but he doesn't want anything to do with me," Conner replied. Jake slowly pulled their foreheads together.

"Then join my family," Jake suggested.

"You'd let me?" the Superboy asked. Jake shrugged.

"You're already an honorary member anyways. I mean... Isara goes on several minute long rants about how you're not here enough," Jake responded.

"Except you'd be _her _brother. Not mine. You're my boyfriend."

"You're really... The best person ever. You know that?" Conner replied. He hugged Jake tightly.

"Easy there, Teddybear. We still need to order the pizza and have our movie marathon," Jake reminded. Conner pouted slightly. "Come on, we can order it online." Jake freed himself went back over to his laptop.

"Just get a large cheese and some sodas. Nothing fancy," Conner said. He was leaning against the counter now. He seemed to be in much higher spirits.

"Wakarimashita," Jake replied. Conner raised an eyebrow.

"Japanese," Conner replied..

"How did you..." Jake said. He slowly looked up from his computer.

"I can speak a bunch of languages fluently," Conner replied nonchalantly. Jake raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah? Well I can move things with my mind," Jake scoffed.

"I can lift you up with my pinky finger," Conner smirked.

"I can lift you up without _touching _you," Jake said. He typed in his address and clicked the 'order' button.

"I can leap tall buildings in a single bound," Conner replied. Jake left his computer and stood directly in front of Conner.

"My eyes can detect threats and they turn red," Jake said.

"I can hear a pin drop from the next street over," Conner took a step closer to Jake.

"Ohhhhh shut up. You're Kryptonian. Cheater," Jake admitted defeat. "Hey. You know Halloween's coming this month, right? Any plans?"

"Yeah. I was gonna ask you about that, actually," Conner replied. "My school's having a dance on Halloween. Wondering if you... Wanted to go with me?"

"A school dance. On _Halloween Night? _Why aren't you out having fun? Or... Participating in the Stevens-Family Haunted House that we throw every year," Jake answered.

"You guys do a Haunted House?" Conner asked.

"Kon, you have _no _idea how into holidays Isara gets. Just wait until you see her. She'll probably come in wearing orange and black. Like she does all month. November it's orange and yellow, December it's red and green. We're pretty damn festive," Jake said. There was a knock at the door. "Pizza's here!"

"That was fast," Conner said. He crosses his arms and raised an eyebrow. He followed Jake over to the door.

"Well yeah, the pizza place is right down the block," Jake replied.

"Then why didn't we just walk there?" Conner asked.

"Are you saying that _I _should use my _own _feet to go get pizza? That's sinful," Jake answered in a mock-offended tone. He opened the door. The pizza guy outside was dressed in the typical uniform and right around their height. He had sandy blonde hair, and slightly muscular build.

"Here's your pizza, sir. That'll be twenty-seven fifty," the guy said. Jake grabbed the pizza and handed the guy two twenties.

"Keep the rest as tip," Jake said nonchalantly. The pizza guy brightened up.

"Okie dokie! Thank you so much!" the guy quickly made his way back to the delivery car. Jake closed the door with a soft click.

"I like him," Jake said as he turned to face Conner who was lurking behind him. Jake got a eyebrow raise in response. "He says okie dokie." Conner laughed a little.

"You're so weird," Conner said. He turned and walked back into the kitchen. Jake gaped and then followed him.

"Like you're one to talk! Just for that? I get the first slice," Jake said defiantly. He put the pizza box on the kitchen counter and opened it. It was cut nicely, so they didn't _really _need a knife. Nonetheless, Jake crosses the room, opened a drawer, and pulled out a rather... Extravagant looking knife. It looked... Ceremonial. At least to Conner it did.

"Nice knife?" Conner said. He wandered over to where Jake was and looked at it. Jake let go of the knife and it just hovered there.

"It's our pizza-cutting knife," Jake replied. The knife zoomed over to the pizza box and began doing it's job.

"Hey, where is Isara anyways?" Conner said suddenly. Then he stopped for a moment. "In the driveway."

"Oh no. Shit. We need to get this pizza out of here," Jake said.

"Uhh why?" Conner asked.

"Trust me. Take a piece _now _or you might not get any," Jake warned. Conner obeyed and took a piece. He had taken a bite just when the door to the house opened.

"Jaaake I'm home!" Isara called.

"Heyyyyy sis," Jake replied. Isara rounded the corner. She dressed in black skinny jeans, and an orange long sleeved blouse that complimented her oddly supermodel-esque build. Her normally red hair had orange highlights and the had orange contact-lenses on. Conner had to admit she was absolutely stunning. Then he looked back at Jake. He guessed it ran in the family, because Jake resembled a male-model himself. Much to his enjoyment.  
>"OH MY GOD, CONNER!" Isara shouted. Conner had little time to react before he was attack-hugged to the ground by the girl.<p>

"Ow. Hey Isara. Nice to see you too," Conner said. Jake was snickering.

"You need to just like... Move in here. Because I've missed you so much, and I never get to see you and- Is that pizza," Isara flatlined at the end of her sentence. She slowly rose off of Conner and stared at the pizza box.

"Y-Yeah... That's pizza," Jake responded. He saw the hunger in her eyes, and decided to make a run for it. "Kon and I are gonna watch a few movies. He's spending the night. Just so you know."

"You call him Kon now? Oh my god that is soooooooo cute! Just for that, I'm ordering my own pizza," Isara jumped up and down. She clearly forgot she was standing directly over Conner. She moved away from him and made her way over to Jake's laptop to order her own. Then she looked up at them with evil in her eyes. "You two better be feeding each other the pizza. You're severely lacking in the cuteness department."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say! We're out," Jake pulled Conner to his feet, and dragged him out of the room.  
>-YOUNG JUSTICE-<p>

Jake slowly opened his eyes. It was the next day, and it had been several hours since Conner had left. They had one hell of a night. Playing video games, watching old movies, new movies, just being boys. Who were also boyfriends. He sat up on his bed, and shook his head. He had to take a nap, because Conner and him hadn't actually gone to bed that night.

He hadn't had any nightmares... None, not even in the slightest. In fact, now he woke up feeling great. Jake threw the covers off himself, and let his naked toes touch the cold floor. It sent shivers up his legs and into his spine. His felt his leg muscles tense to support him as he got to his feet.  
>He was scared. It used to be, that every night he would see himself die. Every time he fell asleep, he would be in some scenario where the only way to save everyone or beat whatever was attacking was for him to sacrifice himself. Now all he saw was just normal dreams. They weren't even weird. They just seemed like normal everyday life. He felt relieved, sure. But that didn't mean he wasn't worried about what was happening.<p>

He crossed the room, to look at himself in the mirror. He looked at himself. He started with his feet. Everything from the ankles to the toes looked like they always did. Just fine. His legs were toned, as usual. But nothing changed. He skipped the crotch and butt, because he _knew _they were fine. Next was his abdomen and torso. His abs were still there, as were his pecs. He lightly ran a hand across them. His muscles tensed a bit under the touch before relaxing back to normal. His hands were cold.  
>Then he finally looked all the way up and made eye-contact with himself. His hand flew up to his mouth, and his eyes widened. That was a change. Jake's hair... Was jet-black. And his eyes, specifically the irises of his eyes, were red. Bright red. Jake whipped his head around. He was alone. There was no evident threat nearby, so why were they red? Why, had they changed? Why had his hair changed? It was dark before, but never... <em>Black.<em>  
>He ran his hand through it. It was softer. More lush, it had more shine, it was... <em>Better, <em>healthier, more attractive. He _felt _better, healthier, and more attractive. What was happening to him? He went over to his bed, grabbed his cellphone, and called Conner.  
>"Hey," Conner answered.<p>

"Conner," Jake said. Not bothering to hide his evident fear or broken voice.

"I'll be right there," Conner replied. The line went dead. Jake started getting dressed. He didn't care what he put on. He just grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt. That was all he needed. He had been with Conner all night, but now was when he actually needed him. Jake circled the room before a thought forced it's way into his head. An image. A single image of that place he went to. That... Beautiful place.

Was it... Was it calling him?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Next chapter is... YOU GUESSED IT. Failsafe. This chapter is going to be and intense. Jake AND Angel will undergo changes, hardships, and just... Yeah. The chapters after that? We don't know. We ARE starting Failsafe as I am typing this, so... Just sit tight. I PROMISE this time it will go faster. But in the meantime... Drop us a review, let us know what you think. Don't have anything to say? Theeeeeeeeeeeen tell us how you think Jake and Angel will die in Failsafe. Tata for now~**


	17. Failsafe

**A/N: ALRIGHT! Here's Failsafe. Our longest chapter, yet. It's very intense, and has a little bit of gore mixed in there. It switches POVs from Angel and Jake periodically, but the plot mostly revolves around Angel and... Well... This is a major chapter for her. SuperJake does happen in bits and pieces, but there won't be fluff for them... For quite a while. Mostly angst. The same was what happened in the show. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Angel coasted through the dew-wet morning air, shivering in the damp and the cold wind. A two-hour flight before dawn had cleared her mind of the troubled thoughts that had plagued her since Cassidy's attack. Her head had ached almost perpetually, alternating in intensity. It seemed worst at night, keeping her awake well past the others, plaguing her with spatterings of images both familiar and unknown to her. She had spoken to none of them, had not bothered to explain the growing depths of the shadows beneath her eyes. She knew it must worry them, but this was her trouble to deal with. They had their own problems.<p>

She tipped her wings into the breeze, slicing through it, descending slowly over the land which sheltered the cave. Flying back, rather than zeta-ing back, seemed impractical, but Angel needed the time to cool off. Clean up her expression. She could not let the others discover what had been revealed to her today.

The scene played over and over again in her mind. She had been standing in the silent hospital room, watching the monitors on Cassidy's heart beat, unwavering but unwaking. She had been alone, and certain of it. After Batman's reprimand she would not have allowed herself to be seen with the human girl, one of the reasons she left to visit so very early in the morning. Yes, she had been alone, and yet somehow he had escaped her notice. Surprised her again, entered the room without ever opening the door. He must have come through the open window... but how? A wingless being such as himself?

She'd never had a moment to doubt who the intruder was. The instant she realized that he was there, was the same instant that he spoke, whispered in her ear.

"Is it working, little hero?"

Angel had nearly leapt into the air at the sound of his voice. Leaning up over her wings, only the solid shape of his body kept her firmly planted on the ground. She could not have taken to the sky if she had wanted to. She could not see his face, cast in shadow, obscured by the rise and fall of her feathers, but she could see him smiling. Bright and white and far too wide.

"Is what working?" she asked quietly, half ashamed of the shake in her voice. It amused him.

"Your memories?" he had whispered, pressing his lips close into the hair which hung by her ear. She shuddered convulsively and tried to pull away, but he wrapped one hand painfully in her wing. She could hold still, or be injured. Her choice.

Angel had opened her mouth to tell him they hadn't. That was when it began. She saw again a city in the clouds - an ancient city of marble arches and fountains. Something like Themyscira, but there was no pleasantness to this place. Winged beings like herself stroked their way from one twisting spire to the next, travelling alone and in groups. None seemed to notice her, as though she stood not in a memory, but outside the flow of time. A part of neither her world nor theirs.

The images had changed then, leaving her scrambling to catch up. A flaming pyre of wood and writhing bodies, watched by the heartless eyes of angels. They stood in a circle, again unaware of her presence, hooded and haunting. One of their number stepped forwards, raised a hand drenched in blood.

She was tossed through into another scene, perhaps her memory, perhaps not. A cavernous room of sand-colored stone and elaborately carved columns. Winged being lined the walls, crowded together to give as much space as possible to the single man at the center. He stood, unhooded, face bared to the natural light which poured in through windows in the ceiling. His face caught something in Angel's heart, tugged both painfully and beautifully. She knew his face. She cared for him. Perhaps more than she did for any of the Team.

His face was narrow, set with almond-shaped eyes the color of the sun, framed by sprays of hair as sharply contrasted as day and night. The streak of white at his temple drew her focus, stark against his hair's natural black. She knew that streak. It was the key. His name fluttered at the tip of her tongue - his name, and with it, her memories. Angel watched as he turned towards a great, round table, struggling with her thoughts. Nathan? Nathas?

His voice had shattered her train of thought and robbed her of any chance of regaining it. His voice was deep and proud, held a gravity which she could not match to the youth in his face. He not in English, but in a foreign, fluid tongue. A tongue she had never heard, and yet she completely understood.

"In the the name of the Goddess, we spill this blood and send it unto the heavens," he announced. His words queued a chorus, hidden somewhere in the crowds of robes and cowls. Their shimmering voices echoed off of the temple walls. The man resumed his prayer, drawing a blade of polished crystal from his sleeve and raising it to the sunlight. "Goddess, let thy divine will wash down upon us! Glorify this Empire with the purity of time!"

A scream had drawn Angel's eyes away from the familiar man. She turned towards the distant door, watched as two men in wings and armor dragged a fragile creature into the temple. A child, no more than seven years of age, her wings limp and bloody against her back. She wailed as though her life depended on it. Angel had no doubt that it did. They heaved her up onto the table and held her down against its polished surface. She thrashed beneath gaze of hundreds of hooded creatures, staring in utter terror at the man with the crystal knife.

He did not give her frightened face a second glance, plunging the blade deep into her chest.

Angel had come back to herself then. It was all she could do not the cry out in the sudden darkness, the image of the girl's dying face imprinted on the back of her eyes. When she had thought to check, Gavin was gone.

Leveling out her flight, Angel passed over the peak of the mountain, not yet certain that she wanted to rejoin the Team. She could not say for sure that it was Gavin who had shown her those images of beauty and carnage, but she was fairly certain the theory was true. Was he doing as he had promised? Was he helping her to regain her memories?

Remembering the things she had seen, did she _want_ her memories back?

Yes, of course she did. She had to know...

Shaking her head sharply, Angel vowed to put those images out of her mind and focus on life as it was now. On regaining her memories as her memories, instead of flickering images. Struggling to ignore the frightened hammering of her heart, she tucked her wings against her sides and dove for the cave.

It was with gladness that she found the first room empty. Another few seconds to erase her encounter from her eyes... she hoped. She could not be certain that she was any good at hiding her emotions.

"Angel?" M'gann asked softly. Angel squeaked, wings snapping open in surprise. She'd been so absorbed she had not noticed the Martian. Foolish. That was one quick way to blow her cover. Swallowing tightly, she turned to face her friend.

"M'gann," she returned the greeting, voice a bit shrill. "I didn't see you there..."

"Are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine," Angel answered quickly. Too quickly. She was no good at lying.

"No... You're not. Come on. Let's go talk," M'gann said. She offered her hand out to Angel, who hesitated for an instant before giving in. If she tried to resist it would only get worse. Angel laid her hand - slender and pale - in M'gann's.

M'gann led Angel quickly off-course. She had intended to join the rest of the Team... wherever they were... but the Martian had other ideas, leading her rapidly to the residential section of the cave. To M'gann's room.

Great. A private conversation. Just what Angel needed right now... to spill out everything she had been fighting to keep secret. Irritation prickled up her spine as M'gann pulled her through the door, shut it behind her. That irritation had become something normal, to Angel. She'd grown accustomed to it, though she knew it resonated from that second being she had felt for weeks at the back of her mind. That second presence which had attacked Jake not too long ago. She should have told someone about this, one of the Team... but Diana had seemed unconcerned. Angel's instincts told her that this presence was dangerous.

Diana's instincts were better.

M'gann sat Angel down on the bed, then took a seat beside her.

"Angel, Angel what's wrong? You vanished for hours. I was worried," M'gann said.

"I just went for a fly," Angel answered in a subdued voice. Maybe if she played it down she could get out of this. "To see... y'know..." she trailed off. M'gann would know who she was visiting.

"Oh... Angel can I ask you something?" M'gann treaded softly. Angel gave her a wary look, but nodded all the same. There was really no avoiding it. "Why do you... Why do you trust him? I haven't met him, but I... I don't know. He just rubs me the wrong way."

Angel let her eyes drop, considering the question. She bit her lip in thought. Why did she trust Gavin? Well... she knew the answer to that. She knew it all too well.

"I don't," she whispered. "I don't trust him. At all."

"So... Why? I mean I know he's the only one who can help you... _If _he can help you, but it just seems like... Almost like he's using you," M'gann said. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but... I think he might have been the one who... Did that to Cassidy."

Angel's entire body went stiff - from the back of her neck, through her soft white wings, straight down to her booted feet. Her hands clenched so tightly that her nails dug holes in the skin on the backs of her hands. She made no move to acknowledge M'gann's suspicions, staring straight ahead. Her throat constricted, and for the briefest of instants, she found herself blinded. Blinded by something stirring deep within her chest - that unfamiliar anger, that passion that seemed so completely unsuited to her. Two ice-blue eyes opened in her soul.

And then she came back to herself, drew a shuddering breath. She had to fight to keep tears out of her eyes at the memory of Cassidy lying in the hospital bed. In the end she could not find the space in her lungs to respond.

"Angel? I'm not saying it's true. You don't have to listen to me, I'm just... Speaking my mind," M'gann said.

Angel drew a shaky breath and nodded.

"I understand," she whispered, slowly regaining composure. She raised her eyes to meet M'gann's. "I just... I _have_ to, M'gann. Even your Uncle can't find anything in my head. There's no other way to remember..."

"We can _find _a way! Just... I care about you, okay? I don't want you to get yourself hurt. I may not be super strong like Conner or Kaldur, but that doesn't mean I don't want you safe," M'gann said. Though she knew 'safe' for a superhero was a relative term.

Angel let her eyes drop yet again. Too many thoughts rolled about in her mind - so many that she simply could not find one to focus on, could not make sense of any of them. Her head had begun to pound again, simply from the intensity of everything her brain was trying to do. Gavin, Cassidy, M'gann, safety, memories... too much. Overload.

Her voice cracked as she put her head in her hands and simply began to sob. M'gann made a low, startled sound and wrapped her arms around Angel, pulling the crying girl in close. Her fingers sought out the sharp angle of Angel's chin, pulling her face up to lock eyes.

"Angel... I'm here. It's going to be okay. We'll make it okay, together," M'gann comforted. "Just let me help you. Please?"

Angel drew a shaky breath through her tears, and nodded her agreement. It took a moment for her to calm down, to stem the flow and breath steadily again. Still she said nothing, averting her eyes from M'gann's ashamed. That thing inside of her squirmed angrily at the weak display.

It fell suddenly still at the startling sensation of M'gann's lips on her own.

At first, Angel's eyes flew wide. She jerked against M'gann's arms, still wrapped around her back, her first instinct to pull away and demand to know what the Martian was thinking. M'gann held her fast, however, and in the instant it took her to figure out how she could escape, Angel found that she no longer wanted to. Heat replaced the squirming presence in her mind as she relaxed into M'gann's touch, letting her friend guide her. The territory was new to Angel. Her first kiss...

The time which passed before M'gann pulled away was at once too long and too short for Angel. The unexpected kiss left her panting, shaking. It took her one long moment to realize that M'gann's hands had found a natural resting place at the joint of her wings - the touch sent electricity through Angel such as she had never felt before. It made her tremble, made it difficult to hold herself up. She flopped down against M'gann's chest, secure in the Martian's hold.

Secure until the door slammed open. Angel squeaked and jumped in M'gann's arms, twisting around to stare at the bright face of Wally.

"Hey beautiful! I just wanted to tell you- WOAH!" Wally saw the position they were in. His mind clicked instantly. "I-Uh-I mean... Wow. I-I didn't-I just wanted to-... Um. You know what? I'm just gonna go." Wally sped down the hallway. Artemis stepped in a few seconds later.

"Wally! You are so rude, you can't just- Woah," she said when she took in the sight. "Apparently, he's a cockblock too. Didn't see that one coming. Anyways. What Kid Mouth wanted to tell you, was Batman and J'onn are waiting for us in the main room of the base. They said to get there as soon as possible." Artemis patted the wall before leaving them. Angel stared after the pair of them, cheeks the color of strawberries.

"Um..." she started shakily, removing herself from her resting place. "I guess... we should... go," she mumbled. A rather lame finish, but what else could she say, really?

"Yeah... I guess we should," M'gann replied. She was blushing. Angel slipped off of the bed, straightening out her Fever uniform and biting her lip before holding a hand out to M'gann.

"Coming?" she mumbled.

"Yeah," M'gann responded. She lightly took the hand.

It took a great deal of strength for Angel to keep their hands clasped as she led the way out into the hallway, towards the briefing room. They met no one on their way - that gave Angel the time she needed to gather her thoughts again. All too soon they reached their destination, still hand-in-hand, still wary of the others' reactions.

"Called it," Robin muttered under his breath. Angel flushed a little darker, but chose to ignore Robin's words in favor of Batman and J'onn.

"Hey, where's Jake and Conner?" Wally asked. He was looking in every possible direction except for Angel and M'gann's general one.

"**Recognized. Superboy B-04, Sacrifice B-08**" the computer announced. In walked the two aforementioned boys. They looked different. Conner was dressed in something other than his normal outfit. He was wearing a blue form-fitting t-shirt, black jeans, and a black unbuttoned military type shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His combat boots still remained. The irises of Jake's eyes were bright red, and his hair was jet black. Save for the spiked-up front, which had red highlights in it. Jake dressed in tight red jeans with a chain hanging off the left side, a tight black t-shirt, and two rainbow bracelets on his wrists. He looked the same way he always did.

"... Is there a problem, guys?" Jake asked. He was getting stares from virtually everyone.

"Despite the fact that your eyes are red, nope, Artemis answered. "What made you dye your hair though?"

"We'll... Get to that later," Jake responded. Conner put his hand on Jake's shoulder and squeezed it softly. Jake responded by putting his hand on to Conner's. Angel frowned slightly to herself. There was something... odd going on here, but she would let it lie. Especially because it was that second awareness she feared so much which was telling her there was something odd here.

Pushing thoughts of trouble and memories from her mind, Angel turned again to their seniors.

"Right. Today we're doing a training exercise. A mental, training exercise. You will be put into a scenario as a team, using Manhunter's telepathy," Batman said.

"Batman, what's the scenario?" Robin asked.

"Manhunter will put you into an artificial reality and then you will proceed from there. Understood?" Batman answered, ignoring Robin's question completely.

Angel nodded silently, frowning. This sounded almost... frightening.

"Understood," she whispered, her voice chorused by the others'.

"Can't say I like the sound of that," Jake muttered, barely audible to normal human hearing. Conner squeezed Jake's shoulder again.

"I'll keep you safe," the Superboy whispered. Jake resisted an eyeroll. Conner had been like that all week. "I swear."

"I'll be fine, stop worrying. I'm stronger now, remember?" Jake responded. "Then I get that smokin' new costume."

Angel twitched slightly, glancing at them out of the corner of her eyes, but she chose to draw no attention to the conversation. Stronger? Stronger how? She did not like the sound of that any more than Jake liked the sound of this mission... Sucking in a deep breath, feeling her heart flutter in her chest like a set of immature wings, Angel squeezed M'gann's hand and moved to the circle of blocks which had been set up to support them while they all descended into dreamland. The Team gathered, laying down one by one with their heads pointed towards J'onn at the center.

"I don't like this," Angel whispered to M'gann, who lay at her side.

"We'll be fine. My uncle knows what he's doing," M'gann replied. Angel swallowed, but nodded stiffly. She had to trust J'onn. She had to...

Why was it so hard?

Angel had no time to contemplate that before J'onn put them all under.

YOUNG JUSTICE

Angel could barely imagine her own reactions, had she not known this was a training exercise. Had she thought that was all real. One after another, they died. Like flies stuck in honey, no escape, no way but to charge to their deaths against this enemy. It was an enemy the like of which Angel had never seen or imagined, capable of destroying the people she admired most, down to the very last particle.

The aliens had taken the Green Lanterns first - a shock enough for Angel, in spite of the simulation. Superman followed them closely, which made her heart twinge, like it might when she was watching a very sad movie. Next Captain Marvel, then Captain Atom, and then Martian Manhunter. Angel found it almost... amusing... to realize that he had just constructed his own death, in some obscure manner. The battle in space went silent after Batman's ship was vaporized. A different screen popped up that read 'Incoming Transmission'. Zatara appeared on said transmission.

"Tornado. Did you-" Zatara started. His voice was grave.

"Yes, Zatara. We saw. Celestial defenses have failed, initiate all terrestrial measures," Red Tornado replied.

"Affirmative. See you in the field," Zatara replied. The transmission ended and the screen disappeared. Red Tornado turned to face the team.

"I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs. But should we fail, the responsibility falls to you," Red Tornado said.

"We stand ready," Kaldur responded.

Angel could not help disbelieving the whole scenario, just a little bit. Something deep inside of her - and not, this time, her strange second awareness - simply rejected the thought of the so much of the League dying. The very core of her being told her that it was an impossibility. She wondered if that was simply what she wanted to believe. Biting her lip, Angel turned to the news to watch the terrestrial battle begin.

Once again, the heroes fell quickly. Too quickly, and yet not quickly enough. She felt almost... impatient for the League to be gone. For the mission to truly begin. She suppressed that feeling. She would never wish death upon anyone, least of all these heroes who had taught her so very much.

Zatara and the Flash were the first to go on land, then Hawkwoman, then Hawkman. The Team watched in silence as Green Arrow and Black Canary perished together. That left two on the screen - Red Tornado, and Angel's own mentor, Diana.

Angel all but ignored the scarlet robot. She did not particularly _want_ to watch Wonder Woman die but... somehow she could not tear her eyes away. The battle went badly - that was all which could be expected. The League had no chance against these invaders. No chance...

She flinched visibly as Wonder Woman vanished in the beam of the enemy's weapon.

"Red Tornado to Cave. I fear I am all that remains of the League-" Tornado started.

"RT!" Robin shouted through the comm, but it was too late. Red Tornado went down. The entire League had been defeated.

"We are Earth's heroes now," Kaldur said. Conner turned to him.

"So what are we waiting for, a theme song?" he asked.

"A strategy. Earth's weapons are ineffective, and it has been made tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed," Kaldur replied. Robin was typing away at his own little holographic computer.

"Checking satellite imagery," Robin said. A large image of the globe appeared in front of the group. Different sections highlighted in red. "Here's where the aliens are now."

"This one get lost?" Conner asked, pointing to one up near the North Pole.

"That's Superman's Fortress of Solitude!" Robin exclaimed. Conner raised an eyebrow.

"Superman has a Fortress of Solitude?" he asked.

"It's power source must have attracted the aliens' attention. At least enough to send a scout ship," Robin replied.

"Must be some fortress," Conner said bitterly. He turned his back to the team and walked a few steps. Jake put his hand on the Kryptonian boy's shoulder.

"Kon," he said softly.

"Nah it's okay. Guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know. Ehh y'know, now," Conner replied.

"We will target this lone ship," Kaldur declared.

"Yeah! Break it down, build more, hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo-ow!" Wally said. Artemis elbowed him before he finished.

"Martian and Kryptonian in the house," she said to him. Conner and M'gann were giving him blank stares.

"Uhhh ehe. Not that _all _aliens are automatically ugly," Wally corrected.

"You're damn straight they're not," Jake muttered under his breath. He narrowed his eyes under his mask. Wishing desperately he could wear his new costume.

"So we're going to the Fortress of Solitude?" M'gann said. She lightly grasped Angel's hand. "We'd better get moving if we want to stop those things."

Angel glanced down at their entwined hands, then back up at the rest of the Team.

"But _how_ are we going to stop them?" she asked quietly.

"Use their weapons against them. Find out their weakness. I doubt they've customized individual ships. Probably mass-produced them," Jake answered. "So! Better change to snow-tech." He touched a button on the side of his glove, and the outfit underwent a metamorphosis. Everything except the cloak turned either white or a light shade of grey. He took off his cloak, as it would not help where he was going. Wally, M'gann, and Kaldur changed instantaneously - their suits and powers that allowed them to do so.

Angel watched the others anxiously as they changed, a process rendered unnecessary by the white uniform she wore every day. Her wings beat out a gentle breeze, working with minds of their own in response to her nervousness. Consciously she knew that this was all fake. This was a simulation... but underneath, it all seemed just a little bit too real. The mentors dead, the Team in charge of the planet... it sent a shudder of terror down her spine.

"Hey... We'll be okay," M'gann whispered to her. Angel glanced at the Martian. In the back of her head, she wondered what they were now. What did that... moment mean? Were they like Jake and Conner now...? Or were they still what they had been before?

"I know," she murmured. "It's not real... I know that..."

"We need to move," Kaldur declared.

Ice expanded in every direction, as far as she could see. Angel stood amongst the others, encased in mounds and spires of snow. She had never seen anything like it before... of course, she had never seen much of anything before, but this was an entirely new kind of different. There was just... _nothing_ to look at, and yet there was so much to take in. So much to...

Take in.

"Ship!" she hissed, spotting the great black mass, stark against the clean white of the landscape. Kaldur broke through the ice, and dove into the freezing cold abyss. M'gann entered camouflage mode and took off towards the ship. The rest of the team followed suit, each doing their best to navigate across the slippery terrain. M'gann had reached her target. The alien's ship began to struggle and suddenly the end of the right wing was ripped clean off.

"**Communications disabled,**" M'gann reported through the link. The ship tried to fly away but it crashed back down onto the ice. "**Propulsion disabled.**" Artemis darted out from her hiding spot and shot the center red orb on the ship's face. The turned into a thick concrete-like material that hardened and sealed the entrance. The alien's inside were clearly in a panic, as the canon began firing in wildly in Artemis' general direction.

"**And ETs are sealed inside!**" Artemis said. Kaldur was next. He sprang up through the ice, which caused the ship to take on a nearly capsized position. Kaldur landed right on it. A dangerous move. The canon on the ship turned to him, and began to charge it's shot. But Wolf rammed it, and caused it to miss. Conner leapt up and held the canon in the position it was current in. Facing no one. Wally ran out with Robin on his shoulders, and the boy wonder leapt from his perch and landed on the ship as well.

"**Identifying weapon structural stress-points and links to the ship,**" Robin said as he scanned the alien machine with his holographic wrist computer. Jake was up next. He landed on the ship, and gave Robin a nod. "**Here, here, and here!"** Robin pointed to the different points along the thick stem that connected the canon to the ship. Jake aimed where he was told, and severed the connections. Conner then proceeded to try and rip the canon off completely. He was almost there. But apparently Wolf had heard something. The beast leaped up and pushed Conner out of the way before being vaporized by an small counter weapon that had been previously hidden.

"**Wolf...**" M'gann said. Conner had an almost crestfallen look upon his face.

"**There was no indication of feedback... I-I'm sorry,**" Robin said. Jake jumped over and landed next to Conner, putting a comforting hand on the Superboy's shoulder.

"**Can't do anything for him now,**" Conner said. He returned to his original task of tearing off the canon. "**Let's go.**" He ripped it clean off, and waited for their next move. M'gann brought the Bioship over, and Conner jumped onto it. He held the torn end of the canon close to the ship, while M'gann used her powers to attach the two.

"**Re-routing systems to integrate weapon into ship's biomatrix,**" M'gann reported. Conner held it still for her. "**I'll need to de-camouflage for a few minutes.**"

"**You may not have a few minutes!**" Robin said. Two alien battleships had found them. The team was not ready for combat against them.

"**Miss Martian, open fire!**" Kaldur ordered. M'gann looked back at him with a stern yet scared expression.

"**Can't! Weapon systems are offline to incorporate the new canon, and that is not fully integrated yet either!**" M'gann replied.

"**Got ya covered!**" Artemis yelled. She was on the front line, with three arrows nocked and ready. She fired them at the same time. "**Get inside! I'm almost there!**" Two of the arrows made contact. Both ships were successfully knocked out of the air. One of them exploded upon impact on the ice. The other was more fortunate. It skidded along until it came to stop a few feet behind Artemis. She had her back turned and did not hear the canon being aimed at her, and charging. M'gann did, however. She whipped around with a look of horror on her face.

"**Artemis, behind you!**" M'gann warned. Artemis stopped dead in her tracks, and turned to face the ship. She nocked an arrow just as the canon shot. It was too late. She had been hit. There were a few seconds of silence as Artemis was vaporized from existence. She was gone. "ARTEMIS!"

"NO!" Angel shrieked, dropping back a step. She wrapped her arms around her chest, clinging to herself, as though the mere sight of Artemis' death could tear her to shreds on the spot. No... no, this couldn't be happening. Artemis couldn't be...

"ARTEMIS!" Wally screamed. Kaldur leapt into action.

"Get inside. All of you," he ordered. He quickly and vengefully took out the alien ship that had killed his teammate and friend. The team just stood there. In shock, horror, and rage.

"They're dead. Every. Single. Alien. If it's the last thing I do!" Wally seethed. Jake closed his eyes and tore his eyes from the scene. This was too much. They had just lost one of their own. He wasn't angry. He wasn't sad. He was in shock. Almost in denial. He moved himself into the Bioship, and slunk into a chair. The rest of the team followed shortly after. They took off in silence. Mourning the loss of their friend. M'gann was openly crying. Wally was angrily smashing his fists into the console in front of him and making anguished screams of pain. Angel stood in silence, face white, eyes wide with shock. She had forgotten to find a seat.

"There will be time to mourn later. Now we have a job to do; defend the Earth! To make sure Artemis' sacrifice was not in vain," Kaldur said. He got up from his seat to address the team.

"Back to the cave?" M'gann asked.

"The Hall of Justice. The human race must know that there are still heroes defending them. There is still hope," Kaldur answered.

YOUNG JUSTICE

The ship flew into Washington D.C and onto a battlefield. The military was stationed outside the Capital and was firing away at three attacking alien ships. The Bioship was camouflaged as it snuck behind the three offenders. The aliens took out the tree tanks that were stationed on the ground.

"Superboy, go!" Kaldur ordered. The floor of the Bioship opened, and Conner jumped out. He landed on the top of an alien ship, taking out it's cannon instantly. Then he proceeded to punch the top of it into itself. The ship crashed onto the street and began skidding towards the military. The Bioship used the alien's cannon against them and took out the other two. Both ships came to a stop in front of the soldiers. Conner jumped off the alien ship, and the team exited the Bioship. They were greeted with cheers.

"See? It _is _Superman! Told ya he wouldn't leave us out here alone!" one of the soldiers said.

"I dunno. He looks kinda young. Where's the cape?" a different solder asked. Conner turned around to face them.

"I'm not Superman," he said flatly. He looked irritated at the comparison. Jake quickly made his way over to Conner's side. But made no unprofessional moves.

"I don't know _who _you are, son. And right now, I don't care. You wear the S, and you got the job done," the officer said. Jake couldn't tell what rank he was, but it was obvious he was in command.

"I'm not Superman..." Conner said softly. He broke eye contact with the soldier.

"Tell that to the enemy," the officer said. Kaldur walked up to him. "General Wade Eiling, U.S Air Force."

"Aqualad, Justice League. We'll help you salvage as many of the alien's cannons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours," Kaldur said.

"Roger that," General Eiling replied. The soldiers and the team began to move themselves over to the Hall of Justice. The team walked alongside the trucks and soldiers as escorts. Jake looked over and noticed Conner went back into his brooding mode.

"Hey. What's eating you?" Jake whispered at a barely audible level. Though he knew Conner had heard him. He was the only one that could.

"Nothing," Conner responded. Jake narrowed his eyes. Conner knew he couldn't win this. "I just. Why does everyone keep calling me Superman? I'm not even close to what he is... Was." Jake nonchalantly pointed to the S on Conner's chest.

"You can't really walk around wearing that, and expect people to not make the connection," Jake reasoned.

"Yeah but. Doesn't mean I have to like it," Conner responded. They moved the rest of the way to the Hall in silence. They went unnoticed and undisturbed. The aliens were busy elsewhere.

Angel walked in pensive silence alongside M'gann. She had not raised her eyes in quite some time, absorbed in thought. Or perhaps in an absence of thought. She kept playing it over and over again in her mind - Artemis vanishing in the alien's beam. It made her chest ache to think of it, and yet she could not stop herself from thinking about it...

Worse, perhaps, her head had begun to ache again. A low, pulsing burn, familiar by now but still concerning. The last time her skull had seared this way, she had lashed out at Jake, and then collapsed. The world was ending. If there was anything that they could not afford just then, it was a member of the team losing strength.

The crew arrived at the Hall of Justice, and holed up inside of it. Conner walked up to look at the larger-than-life statues of the League. All of them had been blown to pieces from the torso up. The team looked up at their mentors... Or former mentors and grieved.

"They're really gone," Robin said. Angel had to turn away from Diana to keep the tears from falling. M'gann floated over to the crumbled statue of her uncle J'onn, the Martian Manhunter. Lightly touched the cracked stone that made up her uncle's face, she felt her emotions take the better of her. And she began to weep. The grieving did not last long, as she heard something in her head. Something that told her, there was something beneath this large object. She looked up and then flew away from the statue. Using her powerful telekinesis, she moved the large stone out of the way, and gasped when she saw him.

"Uncle J'onn!" she cried happily. She made to fly over and hug him, but Kaldur stepped in her way.

"**M'gann. Check his mind. Make sure he is whom he appears to be,**" Kaldur warned. M'gann did as she was told.

"**It's him. He's real! He's alive!**" she responded. Almost a little too quickly. The Martian girl flew over to him, and helped him up. He braced himself on her, and she supported him easily.

"But we saw you get disintegrated. You _and _Superman!... And everyone!" Conner said. Jake couldn't help but notice the special attention Conner gave to the word Superman.

"Yes. I remember. But... I cannot remember how I survived. Or... How I arrived here," J'onn said. He was very clearly dazed, and completely out of it.

"Maybe you were density-shifting and the beam passed right through you!" M'gann suggested.

"Scrambling your brains along the way!" Robin chimed in. The team, minus Conner, was relieved to have someone as powerful as Martian Manhunter back on their side.

"My mind _is... _Clouded. I feel certain I had something important to tell you," J'onn said slowly. Wally lightly hit his head.

"**Hello Wally! Come on!**" Wally said. Robin turned around and gave Wally a suspicious look.

"Did I hear that right?" Jake asked.

"Wondering that too," Robin responded. But he took off with Wally outside. Jake decided he would stay inside with Conner. He could sense there was something... Off, about the Superboy. He wandered over to the boy in question and stood beside him.

"Superboy... What's the matter?" Jake asked quietly. Conner turned to look at him.

"I don't wanna talk about it," the Superboy replied.

"I'm just asking becau-"

"**I knew it! Look! It's giving off zeta-beams! The same stuff that powers our zeta-tubes. T-This doesn't disintegrate, it teleports! Artemis is alive!**" he yelled happily. A little _too _happily, for someone that was supposed to dislike her.

"**Maybe... But-,**" Robin replied.

"**No maybes! They're all alive!**" Wally shouted. Jake couldn't help but notice... Every. Single. Time he was about to get somewhere with Conner, Wally interrupted in some shape or form. What was he, the cockblock from hell?

"That must've been what you wanted to tell us!" M'gann said. She was really excited. But the excitement died down at the sound of the alien ships closing in on them. They could hear the lasers being fired outside. Kaldur looked at his teammates and they all nodded. The stand would be made here.

"**We're on our way!**" Kaldur announced.

"**Negative! We can't win this! Miss Martian, camou the Bioship and-**," Robin wasn't able to finish. The Bioship was hit. It vaporized much faster than anything else so far. M'gann and J'onn were thrown to the ground.

"M'gann!" Angel cried out, snapping out of her pained distraction and hurrying to the Martian's side. She slid her arms underneath her friend, hoisting her off the ground.

"That... Didn't feel like," M'gann said as tears streamed down her face.

"**We're falling back!**" Robin yelled. The General, Robin, Wally, and the soldiers rushed in through the main doors.

"We're trapped!" General Eiling said. Kaldur approached the inner part of the hall and the door slid open for him.

"Maybe not," he said. Everyone rushed through the door as fast as they could. The soldiers went in and anxiously took aim at the door they had just come through.

"We can all zeta to the cave!" Kaldur said. He looked at J'onn who was still leaning heavily on M'gann. "If you can grant us computer clearance to access the tubes."

"I can only authorize one at a time," J'onn responded.

"Send the soldiers first," Kaldur suggested.

"Belay that! You six are assets we can't afford to lose!" General Eiling responded. Kaldur looked at J'onn and nodded. The Martian Manhunter supported himself over to the doorway to the zeta-tube. He stood in front of it, and the camera poked out of the ceiling and scanned him.

"Override. Martian Manhunter, zero-seven," J'onn said.

"**Recognized. Access, granted,**" the computer said. The team lined up to make their way through the tubes one by one. "**Miss Martian, B-zero-five. Robin, B-zero-one. Kid Flash, B-zero-three." **Just as the computer had finished approving Wally, there was an explosion at the entrance to the room. Angel barely managed to take to the air, finding shelter beneath a hanging bit of debris and hovering there, waiting for her turn. A soldier was caught under wreckage from the explosion, and screaming in pain. Wally moved to help, but was thrown through the zeta-tube by Kaldur. Jake used his new and improved telekinesis to throw two of the alien ships into each other. He held his ground while Conner went and rescued the soldier from his rocky prison. He lifted the magnificent piece of debris like it was nothing, and used it as a shield to block the oncoming lasers. He put the soldier's arms around his shoulder and began making his way to the zeta-tube.

"He goes next," Conner said.

"Fine. Then you," Kaldur nodded.

"**Private Jason Bard U.S M.C-,**" the computer rambled on.

"Can you make it?" Conner asked.

"Sure, Superman!" Jason responded.

"I'm not-!" Conner started. "Sacrifice! Come on!"

"**Superboy B-zero-four**," the computer said. Jake slowly started backing up. His swords cutting and hacking away at the alien ships, and somehow escaping being destroyed. "**Sacrifice B-zero-eight.**" Jake brought his swords into his hands so they would travel with him. Then he leapt backwards and vanished into the light.

Angel coasted down out of her shelter, landing lightly in front of the zeta beam. She kept a watchful eye out behind her, ready to flee at the first sign of attack, waiting to be scanned. "**Fever, B-zero-nine.**" A few heartbeats later and she vanished through the zetabeam. Kaldur supported J'onn on his shoulders, guiding him towards the beam.

"They need you more than me!" he shouted. "Go!" He threw J'onn through the zeta-tube before turning around, and being vaporized where he stood.

The team gathered around in a meeting. J'onn was sitting off to the side on a bench, holding his head. They were devastated, but they all knew that there was no time to mourn. No time to do anything but try and save the world. No one said a thing, as they gave their leader Aqualad, Kaldur'ahm, a moment of silence. Robin was the first to break it.

"Our next mission is clear. If we believe the aliens have been teleporting their victims," Robin started.

"We do!" Wally interrupted. Robin gave him a look.

"Then the only reasonable detention facility is here," Robin said. He typed away at his wrist-computer before pulling it onto a larger map in the center for everyone to see. "Their Mothership. Atop what _used _to be Smallville. Ring any bells?" Robin turned to look at J'onn.

"No, I am sorry," J'onn responded. He got to his feet.

"Superboy, you'll provide a distraction," Robin began. Jake put up a red flag.

"No! He's offering you as a sacrifice! That's _my _job! Hence the name," Jake interrupted. "Aqualad would never do that..."

"You're right. Aqualad would sacrifice _himself. _A mistake, that just cost us our leader. Superboy is the most likely to be perceived as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy," Robin explained.

"Worst case, he's teleported inside! And we set him free along with Artemis! … And uh Aqualad and everyone!" Wally chimed in.

"It's okay, Jake. … It's what Superman would do," Conner said. Jake crossed his arms.

"Fine. But I'm going with him," Jake declared. Robin went to object. "Don't. Try and stop me. Superboy is most likely to be threatening, that's true. But he has limited range, and I can get him to places he couldn't reach by just jumping."

"Are you saying you can fly?" Wally asked. Jake sighed, and lifted off the ground effortlessly. Then he grabbed Conner's hand, and picked him up with ease.

"That answer your question?" Jake responded. He touched back down onto the ground, and had Conner do the same.

"Alright fine. You two can handle the distraction," Robin gave up.

Angel blinked slowly and turned away from the conversation, raising a hand to her temple and massaging it lightly. She felt like a fissure had grown there, a tiny crack opening in her skull. It hurt... a lot.

"Angel... Are you going to be okay?" M'gann asked. She lightly took Angel's hands away from her temple and into her own. Angel swallowed tightly and glanced down at M'gann. There was no use lying to her. Not now.

"I don't know," she murmured. "It feels... weird."

"Weird how?" the Martian girl pressed.

"It just hurts..." Angel whispered, wincing slightly, but she could not return her hands to her head. M'gann was holding them down.

"Oh! Sorry. I'll let these go," M'gann said. She quickly released Angel's hands. They floated back up to absentmindedly massage at the winged girl's temples.

"I don't know what's wrong," Angel admitted softly. "This is... the _worst _time..."

"I know... But... Try to stay strong, okay?" M'gann comforted. Angel nodded her agreement, glancing into M'gann's eyes.

"D'you... think we'll make it through this?" she whispered, too quietly for any but M'gann to hear. At least, she hoped - she doubted that Superboy was listening.

"I don't know. I really don't. But I know I'm going to keep fighting until the end," the Martian answered. "Are you?"

Angel nodded her agreement. Only slightly - moving her head too much made it spin.

"Miss Martian, and Manhunter. You two will infiltrate the mothership using density shifting," Robin said.

"But I can't-," M'gann started.

"You have to. You can do it if he helps you, right?" Robin interrupted. M'gann nodded. "Good. Then KF and I will jump infiltrate using their launch pads. Fever, how high can you fly?"

Angel looked up, actually surprised at being addressed. She had not been listening.

"Um..." she frowned slightly. "Several miles, at least. I've never reached a limit."

"Good. You can fly high above the radar, and then meet us inside. Can you do that?"

"I can do that," Angel agreed firmly. She wasn't sure she could, in the end. Her head was spinning madly - how she was even still standing was a mystery to her - but she was not about to let the others know that.

"Alright. We've got our plan," Robin said. "Get everything together, and then we head out."

Angel turned and retreated to a corner, sitting down against the wall to try and get control over her head again. It felt less like a squirming second presence now... more like a blanket. Whatever it was which was inside of her, which was not her... she could feel that taking over.

"Come here," Jake said as he grabbed Conner. He dragged him over to the corner of the room.

"What is it?" Conner asked.

"We're going to die, aren't we?" Jake asked. Not bothering to sugar-coat it. Conner looked away sadly. "I don't want to say goodbye. Not like this."

"We're heroes, Jake. It's what we do," he responded.

"I know. I know... We're Justice League, now. It's what the others would have done," Jake said.

"Yeah. We'll be fine. I promise," Conner comforted. He pulled Jake into a tight hug, knowing it would be the last. Hoping that Jake didn't catch that he was lying.

YOUNG JUSTICE

The team arrived at their destination. The Mothership. A ship so large that it easily covered all of Smallville, and maybe some of the neighboring town. The team moved along the ground silently. Though the nerves, emotions, and anxiety more than compensated for the lack of conversation.

Jake was focused. He wasn't sure when his head had straightened itself out, but he was glad to be able to think clearly. He hadn't said anything to Conner besides basic combat preparations since their talk back at the cave. He wasn't ready to die, he _definitely _didn't want Conner to die. But at least this way they'd be doing something beneficial. Robin stopped the team, on a ledge that was off to the right of the Mothership. The massive size of it was enough to send Jake reeling of fear.

"Stay close to J'onn. He's still..." Robin made a gesture with right hand. He spoke to M'gann who nodded in response. He turned around to face the rest of the group. "First team! Deploy!" M'gann and J'onn took off. Jake watched them fly off towards the menacing skyscraper, until they entered camouflage mode and he lost sight of the pair.

"**Ready. In position,**" M'gann reported over the link. That was fast... Jake got ready. Him and Conner were up next. He looked over to Robin, and got a nod. Alright. Now his heart was racing. He lightly toed off the ground, feeling weightlessness take over the feeling of gravity. He looked at Conner, and lifted the Superboy off the ground effortlessly.

The pair flew over to a high-up, and relatively flat surface of the ship.

"Be careful, Conner. I love you," Jake whispered as he touched them down. They distanced themselves from each other, but still stayed within eyesight. Conner ripped out one of the turrets, and began taking out the others that he could see.

"Alright you glorified trespassers! You wanna see how a _real _alien fights!" Conner screamed. Jake's swords flew out of his holsters, and he hovered just slightly off the ground. The eyes of his mask that were originally white, were now glowing red. As were his real eyes.

Jake could hear the docks for the alien battleships opening. He visibly tensed, and his breaths began to shorten in length. It wasn't until the first few ships were upon him, that he even realized he was still floating. They charged at him, firing away. He flew out of the way and centered himself. He spun himself around, and guided his swords to follow his movement. They swirled around him and took down several alien ships.

Their numbers increased against him. He dodged every shot, coasting, swirling, and moving so smoothly it was almost like watching flowing water. Aerial acrobatics were apparently his specialty, as he was using them to dodge and attack with great skill. Jake was outnumbered. He was calling too much attention to himself. But why? Why was he doing it? A ship exploding close to him snapped him out his thought train.

He stopped his constant movement in exchange for staying perfectly still. He rose up slowly, and steadily. Their numbers needed to decrease. And he knew how he could do it, but it would mean letting go of his weapons. Jake mentally shrugged. Desperate times, right?

His swords came out in front of him, and lined themselves up vertically. Then they began to spin. They created a soft hum in the air, due to the speed. He sent them flying out in front of him, and slowly had them grow further apart. They flew got plenty far before being vaporized by reinforcements. Jake knew he should have expected them to send reinforcements. He brought himself back to the surface of the ship, and lightly touched down. There was still a chance. He could still fight, still-

Jake's left arm was caught in the beam of one of the alien's ships. He didn't know that was possible. It was slowly torn off and then vaporized into space. His pupils shrunk, and he let out the most blood-curdling scream he'd ever made. It wasn't a clean wound, there were still flaps of muscle hanging from his left shoulder. Blood poured out of the injury at a deadly rate, and made him dizzy. He spotted Conner looking at him with a shocked expression. The Kryptonian looked horrified. He dropped his turret and broke into a sprint.

Jake began to stumble away. Conner was being an idiot. If he came over here, they would _both _die, instead of just one of them. Jake tried to get away, but he tripped. The result being that his leg was caught in a beam as well. The same unholy pain tore through his lower-half as yet another limb was torn from his body. He fell flat against the hard, cold, and slanted surface of the Mothership.

Vision was blurry, every nerve in his body felt as if it were in the pits of hell. His voice gave out. Jake wished now, more than ever that he could just be vaporized. But apparently the aliens saw no further threat in him. He felt blood ooze from the corners of his mouth. At this rate, he'd be dead in under a minute.

He felt Conner's arms wrap around him, and lift him up to a relative sitting position. Like those cliche action movies when the girl dies in the guys arms. Jake thought this was exactly like that. You'd think his priorities would be more... Properly sorted.

"Jake! Jake stay with me. I won't lose you! DAMN those fucking things. I swear I'll kill every one of them!" Conner seethed. He was caught in an emotional net with sadness, fear, worry, and pure rage.

"Conner-," Jake started. But a cough, and a spray of blood interrupted him. Some of it landed on Conner's face. Jake would have felt sorry, or even embarrassed, but he just didn't have the time to. Literally. Conner watched as the light left Jake's eyes, as his mouth stayed parted and his body stopped all movement. Jake was dead. Gone. Gone forever, and he couldn't stop it from happening. NOTHING was going right.

"You..." Conner was shaking visibly. If he wasn't careful, he'd lose control just like he did back when he was first released from his pod in Cadmus. "I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" The Kryptonian charged back for his turret, and released a fury of shots at the ships that encircled the large base. He wasn't aiming. There was no thought, save for one. Revenge. Conner's heart raced, anger and adrenaline pumping through his veins. Making him stronger, almost like Cobra-Venom.

The turret was shot out of his hands, and he was weaponless. A laser just barely missed him, and caused an explosion directly to his left. It blasted him off his feet, and sent him flying back. He did a back-handspring and landed on his feet. Only to be hit directly in the back and vaporized instantly.

Inside of the ship, the others, minus Angel, where heading towards the main generator. M'gann, J'onn, Robin, and Wally. M'gann suddenly felt faint and leaned against the wall for support. She felt as if something was severed. As if something was lost. She leaned against her uncle for support instead. Perhaps it would lessen the hole in her heart. The hole of two of her friends now being gone.

"**No... They're gone,**" M'gann said. She fell to her knees. Wally sped over to her, and lightly held her shoulders.

"**It's alright. We'll find them with Artemis. I know it,**" Wally comforted.

"**No. My mind is clear, now. The disintegration beam, is exactly that. There is no detention facility. No prisoners to rescue. Our mission holds no purpose,**" J'onn said. Wally wasn't having it.

"**No! You're wrong! The zeta-radiation proves she's alive! She's-**," Wally screamed. He gripped J'onn by the front of his costume. Robin ripped him away and gripped Wally by the front of _his _outfit.

"**Stop it, KF! I've been scanning for League and Team signals since we got inside. They're not, here. Artemis is gone,**" Robin said. Wally looked away, crestfallen. "**But our mission still holds purpose. To destroy, this Mothership. We'll meet up with Fever at the rondevu point that's up ahead. Miss Martian have you heard from her?**"

YOUNG JUSTICE

Angel coasted above the cloudline, her soft white wings held stiff and steady, spanning nine feet on either side of her. So far above the city, she could detect only the barest echoes of the battle raging on below. She felt almost alone here, almost at peace... but her conscious knew what was happening. She knew where her friends were. They were down there, probably dying. What could she do to help them? She had never been much of a hand in these battles. Wonder Woman had trained her... for what? Her pacifistic personality rendered that training all but useless. She could heal them. That was all.

There was not going to be anything left to heal, at this rate.

_Pathetic..._

Angel shuddered slightly at the voice which sent a shard of ice shooting through her brain. Her wings locked, and she dropped a couple feet before regaining control. It sounded like her, her own thoughts echoing back at her... but it was not. Strangely accented, harsh and disdainful. Could her subconscious hate her? No, no this was more than her subconscious. This was... was...

She sucked in a gasp of cold air as pain ricocheted from skull to spine. She beat her wings frantically to maintain altitude. Wordless whispers surged up from the back of her mind, that hateful voice struggling to form words with a mind which did not yet belong to it. That malevolent second awareness that Diana had told her not to worry about. She should have worried. Should have _panicked_. Snaking tendrils of consciousness reached out around her mind, like burrowing parasites, burning behind her eyes. Images, memories that were not her own, came to her again. That cloud city... that haunted temple room... the man with the white lock.

Angel cried out, grabbing at her head. Her wings pounded frantically against the sky, but to no avail. She could not make herself fly. Wind rushed up around her, surrounding her, pressing her down faster as the voice spoke again.

_What are you doing in my body?_ it demanded. Each sibilant syllable stung like a snakebite. _They put you here, did they not? The _Goddess_ put you here? _

"No!" Angel shrieked from between clenched teeth. It took more effort to speak that one word than she had ever spent on anything before.

_Clever priests, to set a trap like this. Even if one of us escaped we could not warn the enemy..._

What was it talking about? The words sounded so strange, yet the story so familiar. _Her_ story. But why? From when? Her past? She did not have one... no, she had one. She could not remember it. Where had it gone?

_Clever priests..._

Priests. Black robes, white collars. No, no not that kind of priest. Something different, entirely more dangerous. Angel reached for it, unintentionally, grasping through the pain for any solid knowledge. Shadowed tentacles of the second consciousness guided her towards it, encouraged her to seize those shaky memories. Memories which were not hers, not Angel's. No, no these did not belong to her.

But she had not _been_ Angel, had she? Angel... Angel was Wonder Woman's creation.

Who was she?

_You are no-one, _the voice told her, squeezing against her thoughts. Killing her. Black filled in at the edges of her sight. How close was the ground? Where were her wings? She could not see to fly. Could not see past the shadow, the cloud... the portal. A portal? Yes, there it was. Glowing silver against the clouds... a glistening film, into another world. From where?

"Stop!" Angel wailed, curling in on herself. All thought of flight was gone. How long had she been falling? Through the portal... stripped away...

NO. These memories were wrong. These did not belong. She had to stop it, had to-

_Just let it be, little hero,_ the dark voice told her. _Give me back my body._

"I don't-" Angel started, but the shadows strangled the words from her mouth.

_Daughter of the Mirror,_ they whispered, _born through the eyes of the Goddess._

A prayer. At least, that was how it sounded. Thousands of voices, millions even, chanting towards the glowing sky she could not see. Yet the voices, the words were all the same, chanted in thousands of layers by that single presence in her mind. The invader. The alien.

Aliens. She should have been fighting them, should have reached her friends by now. Surely they would come looking for her. Free her from these shadows... stop this before it was too late.

_Draw back the curtain of the clouds and let shine the light of the Goddess upon this broken body. Taint these wings with your black blood, return to them their former prowess. _

Blinding light replaced the shadow in Angel's eyes. She could hold it back no longer - streams of broken images filled her sight, flashed past her. That smile she knew, the laughter she had forgotten, the gleam of that familiar blade. None of it belonged to her. None of it. The invader was _making_ it hers...

No, no, that was not right. The invader was making her _dead_. It had no use for her any longer. Only her body. Only the face that the League trusted. Her people would kill them... murder them all, and their world right along with them.

_Do not be ridiculous, creation,_ the presence whispered to her. _What reason would I have to hurt my friends? _

She broke.

Blue eyes flew open, white wings billowed out to catch hold of the air. Too late, but it did not matter. T'mere would not to die today. Not now that she had finally returned. Pavement rose to greet her. With a bloody smack, she struck the ground, and the lights died away.

YOUNG JUSTICE

M'gann and J'onn density shifted up through the ground, a good distance away from the massive fireball explosion that had claimed the lives of her two friends Kid Flash and Robin. She hung her head in sadness. She was beyond tears at this point. The pain, and hurt in her heart had physically torn it to bits. This was too much to handle. All of her friends... All of them, including her new girlfriend, were dead. All of them sacrificed themselves to ultimately achieve this goal, of saving the Earth.

"**Don't... Don't tell me the mission was a success... The price was too high,**" M'gann said to her uncle. A shadow appeared overhead. She didn't know what is was. She didn't want to look. All she could do was hope, or pray, that it wasn't a threat. Slowly looking up, M'gann gasped in sheer horror. She broke out into a cold-sweat, as her mind and heart sent her into frantics. Another Mothership was descending out of the sky. "**No... No no no no! We have to get out of here, now!**"

"**No. We have to end this now,**" J'onn responded. He placed his hand onto her shoulder. She took it was a comforting gesture. But what could they do? How would they be able to fight that... Thing? Her raced with all the possibilities of what he meant, guessing, chec- Her uncle's fist shot through her chest. It crushed her rib cage, and she felt his fist go right through to the other side of her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, as her eyes went dark.

YOUNG JUSTICE

T'mere stood silently over M'gann, watching the Martian's face closely. Only moments before she had woken to find that she had not, in fact, been crushed against a city street. But then she had known she would not be - with the return of her memories came the recognition that none of it had been real. All a screwed up dream, all false... all Angel's worst fears.

It was strange, to think of Angel as a being separate from herself. They _were_ separate, in very many ways, Angel no more than a personality constructed to keep T'mere from regaining her past. Her name. Yes, Angel was a separate being, a fake being... but still very much a part of T'mere. Her fears still fluttered at the back of T'mere's head, her affections remained as T'mere's affections. Not dead... no, Angel had not died. She had mixed, become overruled by what this body was truly meant to hold. She was only just strong enough that the friendships she had built with this odd Team still held fast.

Slowly, T'mere raised her electric blue eyes from M'gann's face, scanning the rest of the Team. No physical harm done - all of it had happened in their minds - but she could see the emotional trauma in each of their eyes. They had remained where they were after waking, too weak to want to move, too stunned to speak. There had been silence since before she had opened her eyes. She did not mind in the slightest. If there was one thing T'mere needed, it was time. To find a way to explain to them what Angel had been... what _she_ was.

Looking down again, T'mere reached out to stroke M'gann's still face. Yes, the emotions Angel had built were still here. They were T'mere's now. T'mere _was_ Angel... but stronger. Whole. She had her past, she had her present... now she could pursue the future. Together, with these people. Her own people be damned.

M'gann's eyes flew open then, and T'mere banished her musings to the far corner of her mind. The Martian looked wildly around the room, uncomprehending. This must have been how the others looked when they woke. T'mere could not be sure. _She_ had not been at all surprised to open her eyes again.

"You're all alive!" M'gann exclaimed.

"What happened in there?" Batman asked J'onn.

"The exercise... It all went wrong," J'onn responded.

"Exercise?" Robin asked.

"Try to remember. What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter physically linked the six of you in an artificial reality. You all knew this, going in. What you _didn't _know was that it was a train for failure exercise. No matter what the team accomplished, the scenario was designed, to grow worse. Still you were aware, _nothing _was real. Including the deaths of the entire Justice League," Batman responded.

"That is why you hardly grieved. Even when Wolf was disintegrated before your eyes. But all that changed, when Artemis died. Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her subconscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise. And her subconscious took control. Making all of you, forget too," J'onn said.

"I-I'm... I'm so sorry," M'gann said. She looked around at all of her teammates with a devastated expression. She began to break down.

"This isn't her fault! Why didn't you stop the exercise?" Conner yelled.

"We tried. But M'gann had... A deathgrip on the scenario. Even Artemis who should have awakened upon her death, was so convinced she had passed, she slipped into a coma. I realized I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian's subconscious from within. But upon entering the reality... I was overwhelmed by your collective emotion. There was... Too much... Noise, to think clearly. To remember why I was there. The deaths of Aqualad, Jake, and Superboy, and Fever helped. But only when the Mothership exploded, and Robin and Kid Flash were silenced, did my mind clear enough to remember my true purpose. To shock M'gann out of the exercise, before your comas became permanent. My apologies. I had **no **idea a training exercise could be so dangerous. So damaging," J'onn explained. M'gann began to silently sob.

Conner was petting wolf, and had Jake leaning on his shoulder. Jake was traumatized. He hung his head, and let the shadows cover his eyes.

T'mere watched in pensive silence, taking in the displays of distress from the other members of the Team. She felt nothing. Nothing but... _success_. As Angel she had never been this strong, this certain, stumbling around the world like a blind fool, love-struck with every tiny wonder. No more. Her past was hers to use as she wished. She did not have to wander - the tie of her memories held her firmly to the ground. It was lucky that she had rediscovered her ability to conceal her thoughts, her emotions. It might have seemed heartless had her absolute glee been displayed in her eyes.

Now was not the time to show that, however. Victory was hers. Sharing could occur at a later date. For now... seeing M'gann cry did not sit well with her. She was no nudge, no sucker for tears, but this was M'gann. Her relationship with the girl was one thing which had _not_ changed. Carefully, she reached out and wrapped her arms around M'gann's shaking shoulders. T'mere rested her cheek lightly against the Martian's red hair. She said nothing, she could not take the chance with her accent so prominent... but she could still comfort M'gann. Still attempt to do her duty as healer, and as lover.

"... Never doing _that _again," Jake muttered under his breath. He was trying to lighten the mood, but his voice was broken. He'd had his arm and leg ripped from his body, and bled to death in his boyfriend's arms. It may not have been real, but that still changed him. Conner felt the same way. Wally simply hung his head, and walked out of the room. Not saying a word to anyone. Just leaving.

Kaldur sat there and rubbed his face with his hands. He had sacrificed himself as leader, and let his team be killed. He had failed them. Failed them in ways he couldn't even mention without entering a mild-form of self-loathing.

T'mere took a deep breath. The atmosphere in this room was too heavy. Sentimental conversations were bound to start up soon enough. She would rather not be around for them. Pulling away slightly, she peered into M'gann's eyes, stroking the girl's hair softly. Privately she wondered how M'gann could possibly not realize - Angel had been such a pathetic little creature, clinging to the Martian for protection. The reversal in roles should have given her away... but she was _just_ that lucky. M'gann was distressed enough not to recognize the change. It was all T'mere could do to keep a smile off of her face at the sight of her friend's panicked grief. What wonderful, emotional people this universe held...

Leaning in again, Angel shifted her arms beneath M'gann, pulling the Martian off of her block. She offered no explanation to anyone, met the eyes of none of her friends as she turned and bore M'gann away from them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There we go. The next chapter is when Conner goes on his adventure with the people from New Genesis. And I will not be following that journey. Not in the slightest. To be honest? I'm not entirely sure what happens immediately next for Jake, but T'mere's got big plans ahead of her. YamamotoAmeko really loves writing T'mere and she hopes you guys like her too. Don't worry, she's funny. Sort of. Either way... The story will be a little more light-hearted for a bit. But will get MUCH darker at a later date. So. Review review review, and we'll be posting the next chapter soon. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: ALRIGHT. New chapter time! Isn't this exciting? So this chapter we really get to learn who T'mere is, and what she's like. This chapter is about HALF the length of the last one, but it's pretty important. Don't worry happier days are coming! Oh. And it looks like you guys are having issues with pronunciation. **

**T'mere= Tah-meer.  
><strong>

**Na'shak= Nah- shahk. both a's make an "ah" sound. **

**S'dara= Sah-dah-rah. **

**Hope that helps. ANYWAYS.**

* * *

><p>On silent feet, T'mere stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She had not heard from the others what this all might be about - she had locked herself in her room that morning, refusing to come out to speak with the others. They would assume, she knew, that she was as freaked out by the disastrous training session as they were. Training had nothing to do with <em>her<em> isolation. Instead, T'mere had chosen to withdraw... until she could find the proper moment to reveal herself.

"Hi, Angel," T'mere twitched slightly at the name. What ever made her think that name was a good idea...? "We, uhh... We need to talk. About what happened during the training exercise," Black Canary said softly.

T'mere fixed Black Canary in her brilliant blue eyes. She said nothing as she moved to sit across from the older woman. Well, not older, actually, much younger... but biologically speaking, older. She crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, perfectly calm, perfectly silent. Let the accent be a shock. Let it be the first clue she dropped.

"I'm here to listen, not to force you to talk. I'd like it if you told me what was wrong, if there is anything. I'm here for you,"

A soft chuckle escaped T'mere, an almost disdainful sound. Wrong? Nothing was wrong. At least, not with her. Nothing, at least, which stemmed from that disastrous experiment. She leaned back into the chair, shifting her wings until they were slightly more comfortable behind her. So this was why her people never put backs on their chairs...

"My dear Black Canary," she murmured in a tone of utmost respect. Her accent, sharp and foreign, was a dead giveaway. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with me."

Black Canary's eyes widened.

"You've regained your memories, haven't you? I must say... I wasn't expecting a British accent," Black Canary smiled.

"British?" T'mere questioned softly, smirking. "Is that what it is? I was wondering."

"Yes. It's the way people from Great Britain speak. Wow," Black Canary paused to take a breath, to take in the news. "This is great. If I may... What's your real name? I don't want to be calling you a name you obviously hate," Black Canary tilted her head to the side.

"My name is T'mere," T'mere answered steadily, watching her reaction closely. She wondered if the League had seen her race before? Knew of the threat they posed? What would the League think, if they knew that the princess of an enemy resided among them?

"That's a beautiful name. Well, I'd love to get to know the real you," the hero suggested. "If that's alright, that is."

T'mere could not help laughing at that. The real her...

"You want to know how I came here?" she asked quietly.

"Sure," Black Canary nodded.

T'mere took one long moment to consider, her gaze never wavering from Black Canary. Her wings stirred quietly behind her, as they often did when she thought. Some things never changed, no matter how many personalities one went through. She decided that it might be best to get what was... perhaps the largest shock... out of the way as quickly as possible.

"I suppose," she murmured, "that it should be noted that I was three hundred and forty seven years old when I fell."

"Wow. That's uh... Impressive. For what it's worth, that makes you the oldest member on the Team, and you're older than anyone on the League," Black Canary pointed out. T'mere simply smirked.

"Among the People, that is equal to about nineteen years of human development," she disagreed. "I still have much to learn."

"The People? Is that what you call yourselves where you're from?" the heroine asked.

"It is." T'mere paused for an instant, thinking. She knew she could not lie, and she could not afford to hide things from the League. Not too much, at least. If they were to continue to trust this new and dangerous version of Angel, they would have to know _everything _about her that she could afford to give away. "It seems a bit ostentatious," she observed, "but we _are_ the only race left in our universe."

"Was there a genocide?"

T'mere's wings stilled. Her eyes seemed, for an instant, to glaze over. Thinking deeply. When she came out of it, all traces of humor were gone.

"Black Canary," she whispered. "If I am completely honest with you... will you swear to withhold judgement on me until my story is complete?"

"I promise," the woman answered. T'mere nodded, feeling those slight flutters of nervousness which had risen die out.

"There was a genocide," she agreed. "A universal genocide. We, the People, killed them all." T'mere watched Black Canary's poker-face. Deciding that her senior had nothing she planned to say, T'mere launched head-first into her story. "The People exist in war. We are warriors, above all other things. I doubt that we would know what to do with ourselves, if we could not kill." She realized that she was shaking. These humans had made her soft. She wondered if that bothered her, decided that it did not. "I took my first life at the altar when I was barely old enough to speak coherently. A sacrifice, to the Goddess. It was my... initiation, as princess and leader of the armies of the People. I carved his heart out... and that night, at my Feast of Crowning, ate it."

"Was your culture cannibalistic?" the heroine asked calmly. T'mere nodded.

"Sometimes," she agreed. "Ceremonially. The Goddess... approves of brutality."

"T'mere, may I ask you something?" Black Canary gave her a soft look.

"Of course," T'mere agreed.

"Do you... Miss your people? Would you rather return there than stay here?" she asked.

Silence stretched for several instants, long enough to become remarkably uncomfortable. And then T'mere began to laugh. Her head dropped backwards, resting against the back of the couch. Her laughter was like chiming bells. Dangerous bells.

"That is, perhaps, best answered with a story," she whispered. "I will tell you, then... how I came to this universe." She leaned forwards now, wings opening behind her, as though to gather Black Canary up, conceal them both in a shell of feathers upon which no one could intrude. Her voice came in a whisper - conspiratorial, almost indecently excited. She remembered it all, as though it were unfolding before her very eyes. "I have been here for months, but where I come from, I will be lucky if a week has passed. Time works... differently there. It was just before the Day of New War. We were to ask the Goddess for guidance, in return for a living sacrifice..."

YOUNG JUSTICE

Several Months Before

The scent of cooking fires filled the thin air around the palace as evening settled across the clouds. T'mere lay comfortably upon her silken divan, wings folded across her back, a cool breeze ghosting through the open window to kiss her bare skin. The heat had brought about the yearly change of wardrobe in the Palace of the Gods, and her fur-lined armor had been changed for scant leather, baring as much skin as possible to whatever cooling became available. As such, the princess lay in relative comfort, while thousands of her people baked beyond the Palace walls.

T'mere stirred slightly, re-adjusting her wings so they lay more lightly against her. Nothing insulated quite so well as two great masses of feathers. At least she had not fully matured - she could not imagine surviving with the dark wings of an adult. She raised one hand and drew away a stream of deep gold hair. Tiny crystals glittered, woven in amongst the curls. They caught the evening light and turned themselves to specks of blood.

Closing her eyes, T'mere let the world suck her in. The scent of hot meat, the sounds of children laughing, of swords clashing in the distance, of priests chanting in the temples - all of it spoke of the coming of the Day of New War. Excitement bubbled in her chest. Tomorrow her day would be filled with festivities - jousts and duels, life pit against life, being pit against beast. If she was lucky, she would be chosen again to fight. If she was strong, she would win the privilege, in the competitions, to carry out the yearly sacrifice. There was nothing she looked forward to more.

The touch of cool water against her brow startled T'mere. Her eyes snapped open, bright blue and burning at the thought of a possible threat. There was none. _He _stood before her, a bowl of chilled water in one hand, the other damp and pressed gently against her brow. She groaned and rolled over, shoving his hand away.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she demanded, sliding off of her divan and straightening a twist in the cloth joint of her armor. Na'shak chuckled at the question, straightening a feather for her. He still wore the sweeping gray robes of the priesthood. He had come straight to her from prayer.

"The Princess can not afford to overheat," he teased her gently. T'mere glared at him.

"You should be preparing for the Sacrifice."

Na'shak waved her off, sweeping back the streak of white hair at his temple. It always seemed to fall into his eyes... those brilliant, burnished yellow eyes.

"The priests have been sent home," he disagreed. "No reason to have males underfoot. The Priestesses will get their planning done faster without us."

T'mere huffed quietly and smiled at him. She had to admit, it was true. There was a reason - a very good reason - that it was the women who led the People.

"Are you hungry, Princess?" Na'shak asked, slipping easily back into the roll of the servant. T'mere had always admired his ability to adapt. No matter where he went, the young slave fit in. Even his darkened wings, the mark of maturity, drew respect from the people around him. Honestly, it was only with her that he submitted.

"I am," she answered. Absentmindedly, she held out her hand. He laid fingers gently against her palm, and she closed her fist possessively.

"The Queen will expect you at dinner," Na'shak pointed out.

"That's too bad," T'mere muttered. "I'm eating with you."

Na'shak chuckled.

"As you wish."

He took the lead then, guiding her to the edge of the great sunstone platform which made up her rooms. They stood for a moment at the edge, teetering beneath the archways which served at once as doors and walls. T'mere gazed down at the swirling clouds which held their city aloft. For a moment she tried to imagine what it would be like to be unable to fly... she could not. She would rather die than lose her wings.

Na'shak tipped forwards and plummeted off the edge. She followed him closely, diving head-first into the moist, light air she so adored. Their wings unfurled in unison, purest white and thunder-storm gray, sweeping them both away from the Tower, from the highest levels of the Palace of the Gods. Down to where Na'shak and the other priests lived, tucked into the shadows of the Queen and her King.

The air here was familiar to both of them, heavy and hot with the smoke of cooking fires. T'mere's parents were disgusted by it, but she found the flavor almost enchanting. There was a grit to this life not often present in her pampered palace existence. Here the soldiers hammered out their own existence, remarkably separate from the rulers they so deeply revered. T'mere's parents would never understand the passion of blood and armor the way she did, the thrill of blade against blade. Her Mother had passed her time in battle, centuries before, when she was still young. The Queen had so disdained the chaos of the battlefield that she had chosen to ascend the throne, ahead of her war-driven elder sister. T'mere's mother was, above all things, a politician. She could not possibly understand what drove T'mere.

A draft of hot air caught up in T'mere's wings and brought her out of her reverie. Na'shak met her eyes with amusement - he had always been amused by the drifting pattern of her thoughts. Beckoning lightly, he tilted his wings into the rising smoke and floated down to join his warrior brethren.

Na'shak did not officially fit in with the others who gathered here. Free-born warriors, these men and women had grown up together, learned to fight together, killed together. Na'shak was a newcomer to this circle, and indeed to the entire city, brought here only months before to serve in the priesthood as T'mere's personal slave. A toy, the Queen called him, for the entertainment of a growing girl. Considering the brutal natures of T'mere's eight siblings, he had been lucky to become a gift for _her_.

T'mere landed silently beside the campfire, and the small gathering of armed warriors rose to greet the new arrivals. The leader of the band - a heavyset man with muscles corded so tightly beneath his skin that every detail was visible - approached Na'shak first. They bowed to one another.

"Honor be with you," Dothmar rumbled the warrior's prayer. Na'shak bowed to Dothmar.

"And let the Goddess sing your praises," he returned quietly. Na'shak moved on to greet the rest of the group, exchanging bows and whispering prayers amongst his friends. T'mere hovered off to one side, watching and waiting. It was Dothmar, leader in both rank and skill, who approached her first.

"Your Highness," Dothmar murmured. He met her gaze directly, welcoming, and yet his face brimmed with respect. T'mere lifted her chin to return his look with four times his strength.

"Dothmar," she answered steadily, beating out a breeze with her soft white wings. She stepped forwards, matching him chest-to-chest, barely half an arm's length between them, unafraid. She could smell the sweat and armor of a day of training. "Honor be with you."

"Let the Goddess sing your praises," Dothmar answered formally. He received a smirk in reply. "Join us for dinner?"

"Why else would I come here?" T'mere mocked, flicking him lightly with the ends of her tawny hair as she strode past to take her place in the circle around the fire.

Night fell too quickly. At least, it seemed that way to T'mere. The meat which came out of that fire was juicy and smoky, and came with the most wonderful laughter she had ever heard. There was no laughter in the Palace of the Gods - at least, not when Na'shak was working in the temple. As much as the People enjoyed the art of war, there was nothing funny about it. That was all they talked about up in the Palace. Here, there were stories to be told. They talked long into the night, of what T'mere could not be sure. They touched on everything and seemed to settle on nothing. War, politics, tomorrow's ritual, T'mere's deepening relationship with Na'shak. It was Dothmar who brought that up. It was Dothmar who was knocked off of his seat.

By the time footsteps approached them, the group had lapsed into chuckles and separate conversation, comfortable amongst one another. T'mere leaned lightly against Na'shak's robed chest, watching the flames through half-lidded eyes. Comfortable. She drifted in and out of slumber, absentmindedly wishing that she could live here instead of within the polished walls of the Palace. She did not hear him approaching.

A soft touch to her wing startled T'mere awake. She twisted around, raising one hand to slash the intruder, but found only the leaf-green eyes of a small boy. He peered up at her through a mop of brown hair, small white wings beating, unafraid.

"T'mere?" he murmured. He sounded sleepy - no doubt her parents had roused him from his bed to come find her. T'mere sighed softly and lowered her hand again. Na'shak squeezed her shoulder.

"Hey there, little hero," T'mere mumbled, swinging her legs around the end of the bench to face the child. He shuffled in place, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "You're up late."

"Ana'ndar wanted to fight," S'dara whispered, holding his arms up to her. T'mere reached down and hoisted him into her lap, where he wrapped himself in his wings.

"Mm," T'mere murmured, resting her cheek on his shaggy hair. Behind her, she could feel the warriors' eyes. They watched her rather fondly. It annoyed her. "And is he dead?"

"He fell," S'dara nodded. "There was blood everywhere..."

"And you brought his heart to the High Priestess?"

"She said the Goddess would be pleased."

"T'mere," Na'shak whispered to her. He watched Na'shak fondly, with the eyes of a father. T'mere felt something deep in the pit of her stomach, and odd sort of desire. Well, she _was_ coming of that age. Perhaps soon she would have to ask the High Priestess's permission to mate.

"What is it?" T'mere murmured, pushing her thoughts away.

"We should bring him to bed."

T'mere peered down at S'dara. The boy's eyes fluttered as he drifted, curled up into her stomach.

"I guess we should," she agreed, shifting to her feet. S'dara squirmed, but did not wake. Na'shak turned to the warriors gathered around the fire.

"May the Goddess grant you rest," he murmured, bowing to them. Dothmar rose and returned the bow in silence.

YOUNG JUSTICE

Na'shak paused outside of T'mere's room, standing quietly in the shadows of the great arch. T'mere bounced lightly in place, rocking S'dara and watching her servant watch her. He seemed pensive, almost nervous. She wondered if his thoughts were travelling down the same path as hers had.

"I guess I'll see you at the ceremony tomorrow," Na'shak smiled slightly at her. T'mere smiled back.

"You're performing the rite?" she asked. Na'shak nodded.

"They gave me the knife this morning."

"Congratulations."

The pair of them lapsed again into silence, staring at each other. T'mere stomach fluttered unfamiliarly, like something was trying to escape through her skin. She'd never felt that before.

"Well," Na'shak chuckled, breaking contact, casting his eyes off the side of the platform to the roiling clouds below. "Sleep well."

T'mere nodded, and she too turned her gaze away from his sculpted chest, finding focus on a gently twisting stone pillar.

"Make sure you're here on time tomorrow," she ordered softly. "With your collar _on_ this time."

Na'shak flushed visibly and touched his bare throat.

"Yes, T'mere," he agreed, folding himself in half. "I take my leave."

Pivoting on the ball of his foot, he leapt once more off the Palace of the Gods and plummeted towards the distant campfires of the city. T'mere hovered for an instant before retreating through the roofless arches to the nest-like mound of cushions where she slept. She laid S'dara gently within it - the boy hardly stirred at the transfer, squirming just the slightest bit and stretching his wings before curling up again. T'mere laughed.

"My little hero," she whispered fondly. "Someday you will conquer worlds at my side."

YOUNG JUSTICE

T'mere did not know exactly when she had fallen asleep. It seemed to her that she had only barely lain down, wrapped her wings around the little boy she had been asked to teach. It had been her intention to stay up a while, in case he needed something, but her body had other ideas. She had fallen asleep in seconds.

Now, she had no clue what had roused her. A movement, certainly - nothing else could have brought her around before the sun rose. But what had moved? A wayward servant come to collect her wash? A thief? An assassin...?

No chances could be taken. Slowly, T'mere drew her wings in tight behind her back, uncovering her sleeping apprentice. Her hand went silently to the knife at her hip - even sleeping, her kind were always armed. Lying perfectly still, she waited for that sound again. A soft footstep... Ah. There it was. The soft sole of a cloth boot against the stone. She shifted her grip on the hilt, coiled the muscles in her arm, prepared to strike.

"T'mere," Na'shak's voice hissed through the shadows. The tension left T'mere with a breath of relief.

"Na'shak," she whispered furiously as her slave slipped into view. His wings, a storming gray, beat anxiously behind him. "Why do you disturb me?" She expected him to smile in response, laugh it off with a wave of his hand, offer some ridiculous explanation. He did not. His face was grimmer than she had ever seen it before, and they had fought together on the front lines.

"We must go," Na'shak whispered, seizing her arm and tugging her upright. She jerked out of his grasp, frowning in disapproval. No slave acted this way. Even one so deeply loved as he.

"What is wrong?" T'mere demanded, uncurling herself from S'dara and rising to face Na'shak. His eyes were nearly glazed with panic.

"The priests..." Na'shak whispered, trailing off in terror. He lashed out again, seizing her hand. His grip was painful. "The priests are comi... we have to go!" He heaved on her hand. She staggered and fell into his chest.

"Na'shak!" she gasped, pushing angrily away from him. "What has gotten _into_ you?" Behind her, S'dara made a soft noise of complaint, but both adults had forgotten that the child was there.

"The Goddess named you!" Na'shak shouted. His cracking voice stunned T'mere into silence. "The priests are coming for you! They'll put you under the knife! Under _my_ knife..." he shuddered slightly, and it seemed for a moment that he would fall, but the terrorized priest kept on his feet. T'mere was not so lucky. She stumbled - he caught her. Chosen... how could she be chosen? She, the only viable heir to the People's Throne. No child of her brother could rule, half-breed that he was. Her parents were both far too old to produce a qualifying child. She was their last chance... their only hope.

"How?" she whispered, staring blindly past his shoulder. In the distance, off the edge of the tower, she could see lights approaching. Winged priests, bearing their souls' lights to guide them to her.

"It doesn't matter," Na'shak snapped. He shook her sharply, threw her from his grasp, brought her back into the real world. "They can't have you."

"But the Goddess-"

"No!" the fury in his tone silenced her again. "I won't kill you."

"Then what can we do?" T'mere hissed. "The Goddess will find me no matter where-"

"The other world."

She stared at him, bewildered. The other world? She knew of no other world - not one which could hide her. The People were the last beings in this universe, the last survivors of a great war that they, themselves, had waged. And planet they did not need to produce their precious resources had been allowed to crumble and decay, turned to dusty wasteland to prevent any living creature from evolving there again. THere was nowhere to hide... especially not from the Goddess.

Na'shak did not seem inclined to explain. He heaved on her wrist again, dragging her away from her cushioned nest.

"We don't have any time," he hissed. Claws pricked at her skin - his own natural weapons, barely restrained. She swallowed tightly at the thought of what would happen to her hand if, in his anger, he unsheathed them. "They'll be here any minu-"

S'dara cried out in fear from where he lay. T'mere twisted in Na'shak's grip, searching for the tiny sillhouette. There he sat, all white-wings and wide-eyes, pale at the sight of her leaving him. She dug her heels into the ground and forced Na'shak to stop.

"T'mere, we can not afford to bring him!" Na'shak told her furiously. She hissed angrily, and her hand flew, striking him hard across the cheek.

"I am not yours to command!"

Na'shak stared at her for an instant, stunned. He'd thought, perhaps, that she would be more submissive, more willing, given the situation. He should have known better. Submission was not something T'mere understood. He drew a shuddering breath, and nodded.

"T'mere!" S'dara cried again, and she whirled, ran back to him. He clung tightly to her neck as she raised him from her nest. "Why are you leaving?" he wailed.

"Keep quiet, S'dara," she snapped. The boy fell to gently sobbing. "I'll take you with me."

"T'mere, it's too dangerous!" Na'shak objected.

"And if the priests find him here alone?" T'mere hissed. The words scalded her throat - all her life, the priests had offered comfort. As one of their revered subjects, they had been there to advise her and listen to her worries, to aid her in asking the Goddess for help. Any trouble she had as a child, she had gone to the priests. Now they _were_ her trouble. "If the priests find him here alone, they'll kill him. You know that better than anyone." She glanced meaningfully at his clerical robes, at the sacrificial knife hanging from his belt. He flushed with shame.

"Then let's get out of here."

T'mere clutched S'dara tighter to her and ran to the edge of the tower with Na'shak. Their wings opened at a staggered beat, first his than hers. They plummeted together towards the city, S'dara hiding his face in her hair.

T'mere had never felt fear while flying before. Her heart hammered against her ribs, struggling to escape the terrible, carven blade at Na'shaks hip. Though she knew he would never use it on her she found herself struggling to fly further away from him, fearing its ominous presence. The Goddess looked through that knife. It shone with her bloodlust. The wind scraped painfully across T'mere's bare skin, cold, screaming in her ears so that she could barely here S'dara's frightened cries. She could not tell yet whether the priests had arrived at her tower. Whether they had found it empty...

Where they flew, T'mere could not say, and Na'shak offered no explanations. She did not beat her wings - they were locked in a free-fall towards the roiling clouds beneath the city which had given her life. Her eyes blurred. Even she was not built for flight like this. Another world... what other world? Where did Na'shak think to send her? What could he possibly do?

He could not mean..

No, not even he was that crazy. Such an exile would be more death than life to one of the People. No empire to serve, no wars to fight, no bloody games or campfire talk. That place was harsh, too clean, too governed by pacifism. The People did not fit there, where technology ruled the world, out of the control of the beings which created it. Where the Justice League stood in defense of all. He could not think to send her into their grasp. The rules of their society were incompatible with the People. She would be seen as a threat... locked away.

She would rather give her life to the Goddess.

Would she? T'mere was uncertain. She had never considered it an option, thought herself too important for the Goddess to take. She would never make that mistake again.

Shouts split the sky as they plummeted past the city's stone base, woke the People. She could feel the outrage in the air. No one ran. No one denied the Goddess her pound of flesh. Without the heart of the one she chose, the Goddess would become angry. She would strike the City of the People, bring chaos down upon them. T'mere would bring chaos down upon them. She did not care. She and Na'shak vanished into the clouds with a gentle puff of water vapor.

They flew blind for a time, still falling towards a planet that T'mere had never seen. Constant storm-cover had flooded this world long before the People arrived. The planet's surface surged with billions of miles of water and perhaps two dots of land which were quickly eroding. The People never went down there. The winds were often too strong even for their great wings. It could be lethal. The priests would not follow them down here... but that was only a prayer. They could never be sure. She could never be certain again.

"Where are we going?" she screamed as the wind picked up. She found herself flying sideways, out of control. Only the forced beating of her wings kept her upright. She could barely see Na'shak through the driving rain.

"Down!" Na'shak answered, his words swept away by the wind. He offered no explanation. Together they fought the storm, hardly able to breathe, blind and all but deaf and numb from cold. T'mere lost all sense of time or space, aware only of S'dara's clinging, shivering shape, and the gray smudge that was Na'shak. It came as a complete shock to her when they hit a dead pocket in the sky, when sound returned. Na'shak's eyes widened in alarm.

"T'mere, dive!" he screamed, but she had no time to obey. A gauntleted hand seized her ankle and jerked her out of flick. It left her hanging, for an instant, off the wing-strength of a warrior priest. She twisted in his grasp and stared up towards his painted face. The ink ran in the rain - he'd been prepared for the ceremony. These fools had not expected her to run.

"You dare defy the Goddess!" the voice of the High Priestess shrilled through the eerie silence of the pocket. T'mere forced her wings to work, beating furiously at the air. She broke his grip and fell for one terrifying moment, before Na'shak caught hold of her wrist and pulled her back into control.

"She will not die!" Na'shak shouted back. T'mere had never seen his eyes so bright with rage. The eyes of the High Priestess looked just as irate.

"Insolent male!" she snarled, and the scraping of unsheathed claws filled the air. T'mere clutched S'dara to her chest. The boy was crying.

"Take him, T'mere!" Na'shak hissed, shoving her down, towards the swirling currents of air which would carry her to relative safety. "Go!"

T'mere opened her mouth to object, but they had hesitated too long. The priest who had grabbed her shot down without warning. He struck her before she could react, slashing his claws down her chest. S'dara screamed as he was knocked from her arms, blood spraying from the deep gashes around his eyes.

"S'dara!" T'mere shrieked, but found she could not fly to reach him. The priest had seized her wings. Her heart fell silent as she watched her apprentice plummet out of sight into the storm. She stopped struggling and hung limply in the priest's hands. For that instant, T'mere found that she was ready - no, eager - to die.

"Let. Her. GO!"

Na'shak hit the priest at full speed, slamming their bodies together and dislodging T'mere. She plummeted after S'dara and into the windstream. Once again she was blind, but not by the wind. She could see his blood, feel it as though it had coated her. S'dara was gone.

Na'shak was there. He closed his arms around her, facing away from the wind, letting it drive him full-force. T'mere could only imagine the pain that caused his wings, but Na'shak showed none of it. He would save her. She could see it in his eyes. He would save her, though he could not save even his own life. He was whispering, chanting into the storm in a language T'mere did not understand. Energy surged all around them, crackling in the sky, but not the sort usually found in a storm. Bright violet, surrounding only them. Energy of Na'shak's calling. Terror gripped her. She knew this magic. Na'shak would open a portal, fly them both into the world of the Justice League. He would take them to a place where they could not possibly survive.

Worse, he would take them through the Priests' traps. Even he, a priest himself, was not immune to them. They would not remember each other, would have no clue who they were, where they came from. If they did not wake in time on the other side, neither would survive the landing.

"Na'shak, don-" T'mere started, but her voice failed her. The pressure changed, sucked air from her lungs. She choked on her thoughts as that lavender light blinded her, expanding around them, a sliver in the sky. For a moment, she glimpsed the gray tops of building - a massive, glowing city.

It all happened too quickly for her to register. Na'shak was ripped away from her by the burly arms of a priestess. She heaved him back into the storm, threw him to the winds without mercy. She reached for T'mere, as well, but she would not see the end. She passed through the thin film of the portal, and forgot.

YOUNG JUSTICE

"She must have missed me," T'mere murmured. "I am here, after all."

"Wow. T'mere... What an awful thing to go through," Black Canary said softly. T'mere shrugged slightly, nonchalant. It was so long ago. She had a new world now, a new life.

"I still do not know what happened to Na'shak," she murmured. She would not admit the deep sadness she felt at that. "More than likely he was executed. And eaten."

"You can't be sure. Maybe he's escaped. There's always a possibility," Black Canary responded.

"Unlikely," T'mere murmured. "He would have been noticed by the Justice League, at least... but thank you for the-"

She did not get to finish her sentence, interrupted by the shrill beeping of the intercom. T'mere glanced around in surprise, staring at the offending noise.

"**Lantern to Canary**," the Green Lantern's voice said. The voice belonged to Hal Jordon.

"Canary, I read you. What's wrong?" the heroine asked.

"**I uh... Found a guy. A guy who looks kinda like that Angel-girl Supes rescued a few months back. Wings and the whole nine yards. What do I do with him?**" the guardian asked over the comm.

"Bring him here. I have a feeling, I know who it is," Black Canary responded.

"What does he look like?" T'mere demanded, almost without thinking.

"GL, what does he look like?" Canary asked.

"**Wings... A little bit of white in his hair... He's kinda gross-looking. Been living off rats in the sewer. Dude really needs a shower,**" Green Lantern responded.

T'mere had frozen, voice caught in her throat. Her eyes were just a little bit wild. She struggled for a moment, staring at the intercom, before his name slipped through her lips.

"Na... shak..."

"I'm serious Hal, bring him to the Cave immediately. He can get help here," Black Canary whispered into the comm.

"**I'm on it,**" Hal responded. "**Lantern, out.**"

T'mere came to her feet with a speed born of shock and desperate hope. She gazed at Black Canary, only outwardly in control.

"The others can not see him," she whispered. "Not before me. I will not risk their safety."

"Understood. Come on. We'll meet them at the zeta-tubes, and escort them to the medical bay," Black Canary nodded. T'mere nodded quickly, and turned on one heel to rush through the door, Black Canary right behind her.

T'mere picked up a run outside of the counselling room, and did not slow until they had arrived in the massive briefing room. Only then did she pause to wait for Black Canary, barely breathing hard, staring around in search of her fallen lover.

He was there, with the Green Lantern, thrashing wildly against the bars of a cage constructed from the Lantern's green energy. His eyes were wild with panic, empty of recognition. It was as T'mere had thought - she had come through an illegal portal similar to the one he had thrown her through. He remembered nothing. T'mere felt for him. Not so long ago, she had wanted to do just the same thing. She did not pause to ask permission before taking off and gliding across the remaining space between herself and her servant. He spotted her as she approached. She watched him take in her brilliant white wings, watched hope come into his eyes. He threw himself up against the bars nearest to her, gasping in the tongue of the People.

T'mere chose not to answer him. She touched down lightly at the Green Lantern's side, offering him know acknowledgement. She had eyes only for Na'shak. Breath caught in her chest, she reached through the bars to gently take Na'shak's hand. He calmed at her touch. She smiled.

"Welcome home, Na'shak."

YOUNG JUSTICE

The infirmary was quiet, dimly lit and comfortable, not like usual. Na'shak had needed the shadows, to help keep him calm. He lay still on the bed, resting on his stomach with his wings folded against his back. Whether or not he was asleep, T'mere could not be sure. He was relaxed, at the very least.

She sat with her hand on his, offering comfort. It was nearly unnecessary. The fight had left him when he saw the wings on her back - someone the same as him, someone who spoke his language, who understood. She wished she'd had the same when she'd fallen. Her only saving grace was the teachings of the royal family. As princess she had been required to learn the central language of the Justice League.

Na'shak drew a deep, steady breath, which ended in a sigh. T'mere squeezed his hand gently, watching his deep eyes as they opened. There was confusion in their golden depths. He found her quickly, almost desperately.

"T'mere?" he whispered the name with bemused familiarity. He recognized it, remembered it dimly, but could not place it. It was the same way that T'mere had recalled _his_ name, when Gavin spoke it.

"Na'shak," she answered quietly, reaching out to push the white lock of hair out of his face. There was a question in his tone, a plea. "Do you want to remember?"

He hesitated, then nodded. There was no real question, no real choice. Who would not want to remember? T'mere nodded to herself, reaching into her past, summoning up the words of magic her mother had taught her. This was how the royals had kept the priests in check. The priests' curse upon illegal portals destroyed a trespasser's memories.

A royal's words restored them.

Gently, T'mere laid her palm against his dark hair. He closed his eyes, unafraid. T'mere copied him, sucking in a deep breath, then began to whisper.

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><p><strong>AN: Well... There's that chapter. Na'shak is actually a REALLY funny guy, and I bet you'll like him a lot. We haven't really gotten to see too much of T'mere when she's around friends and such, but I am _sure _that you'll enjoy her more if you already don't. I'm... Not entirely sure where they go from here... You'd have to ask YamamotoAmeko. **

**The next chapter will have Jake and Conner's therapy sessions. We... Kinda already know how Conner's goes, and no we won't be accompanying him on his journey with the guys from New Genesis. But there will be some Kon angst. Because it's a really angsty episode for him. So... Look forward to it! **

**AND REVIEW. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. Time for our question for the reviewers! So. Would you like to see more of T'mere's life before she fell to Earth? In flashbacks and stuff? If there is something you'd like to know about T'mere, let us know in the review section! Tell us _specifically _what you want to know. **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: WARNING. This chapter contains very mature situations. Scratch that, adult situations. So that means... That yes. Jake and Conner finally sleep together in this chapter. So if you don't want to read it... You can skip that part. This chapter is... Pretty uneventful. It's important, but not a milestone. I've been kinda depressed, lonely, and closed up for these past couple of days. I'm sorry if that shows too much in this chapter. So without further or do... Enjoy!**

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><p>Jake's eyes were wide. He couldn't believe what had just happened. It had felt so... Real. He had felt pain. He had felt his own leg and arm being torn from his body. Watched his friends die, watched civilians run hopelessly run for their lives. They tried to save everyone, they really did. But... A mission designed for failure? Hell of a fucking failure. He took a look around. Everyone else was just as silent as he was. Angel had taken M'gann away, most likely to comfort her. That was a good idea.<p>

He silently rose from his spot next to Conner, and headed towards the zeta-tubes. He didn't stop to say goodbye, or even turn his head. He wrapped his arms around himself, and walked without even a slight hesitation. He heard footsteps following him. Conner. Jake didn't mind. At the moment, there was too much damage done for him to be able to feel anything but traumatized.  
>Silently, he walked through the zeta-tubes.<p>

The computerized voice announcing his presence, as he appeared in Isara's office in less than five seconds. The room was absent of all smell. He'd looked fondly upon this place when he left for the Cave earlier that day. Now it just made things worse. As he had just come from an artificial reality where this place ceased to exist.

Isara was nowhere to be seen, and even if she was, he wouldn't have spoken to her. Jake took a deep breath, and kept walking. Not stopping to look at anything like he normally did, he made his way through the room. He could easily just fly through this room, through the basement, and up to his room. But right now, flying wasn't exactly high on his list. The physical changes his body had gone through, as well as the changes to his powers, were something he used to be thankful for. But consciously, the last time he'd used his new powers, he was being used as bait to draw the aliens away from Dick and Wally. Then getting two of his limbs torn off. He felt like... He'd been kicked in the dirt, and then had water splashed on him as a way to make the hurt go away.  
>He exited the secret room of Isara's, and moved at the pace of a New Yorker through the musty old basement. Hugging himself tighter, he made his way up the flight of stairs, and back into his normal house. Home alone, as Isara was probably out with her friends. On the way to the stairs that lead to their second story, he moved at a much slower pace.<p>

Jake toed off his shoes at some random point along his journey to the stairs, for once not actually caring if the floor stayed hazard free. Finally, when the stairs were reached, he stopped at the bottom of them and looked up. He saw his door at the top, waiting for him. Always willing to accept him. Maybe it was the only one that wanted him now.

Setting one foot on to the first step, then beginning to climb, took a lot more effort than he wanted to provide. He was emotionally drained, and physically shaken. His leg and arm tingling at the memory of their vaporization. Which each step he climbed, he felt himself travel into a more and more relaxed place of mind. His room just had that effect on him, the calm it gave him.

Reaching the top, and walking the few steps it took to reach his door, he paused before opening the door. He ran his fingers over the doorknob, feeling the cold metal that he'd touched countless times before. Yes somehow, he couldn't be sure it was real. He couldn't tell what was real anymore. Maybe all of them really had died, and they were in some sort of twisted Heaven. Grasping the knob finally, he turned the doorknob faster than he meant to. The door swung open and revealed his dark bedroom, the only light being the one coming from the small TV he'd brought up there. And apparently left on.

Not bothering to close the door behind him, he walked over to his window, ripping the chain off his jeans and bracelets off his wrists. He slunk down on the window sill that had enough room to comfortably sit on. He brought one knee to his chest, and let his head thunk against the plastic-glass. He looked over his neighborhood, not seeing much, as it had gotten dark outside.

His face was expressionless, and unmoving. How were they supposed to cope with that? Seeing each other die brutally, and fight to the very last breath, and still be expected to just snap back? Wrapping his arms around his knee, he rested his head on that knee. Feeling the calm, and comfort of just being in his room. Wanting desperately to forget what happened, he found himself mentally begging his brain to forget. He could still feel his leg and arm being torn from him. Still see Artemis dying. Still hear the sound of those lasers, and the sound the ships made when they zoomed overhead.

He heard footsteps on the first floor of the house. He figured it could either be Isara or Conner. In a way, he hoped it was neither. Hoped it was some robber guy, who'd somehow managed to get by their customized WayneTech home security system. At least that way, he'd be able to get any lasting frustration he had out of his system. The footsteps moved to the stares, and Jake didn't even flinch. Not even as their shadow covered his form by the window, because of the light coming from the hallway.

"Jake?" he heard a familiar voice ask. It belonged to his boyfriend. So it was Conner after all. Not that Jake was surprised. He knew Conner had been following him. He didn't verbally respond to his name. "Jake... Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I'm fine," Jake murmured sadly. He slowly raised his head, and looked at nothing. Not at Conner in his doorway, not at the posters on the wall, just at nothing. The only movement was from the Kryptonian boy crossing the room. Strong arms wrapped around his lean form as he was picked up by the Superboy and escorted to his bed. Conner sat down on it first, and placed Jake's head in his lap. Their favorite way to sit together.  
>Neither of them said anything. Time passed. Could have been hours, could have been minutes. Jake didn't know. The calm of his room had completely taken charge of him.<p>

Jake's head remained on Conner's lap. His muscles were totally relaxed. Strong and slightly calloused hands ran their fingers through his hair. A sigh of content escaped Jake's lips, as he stared straight ahead at the TV. It was only being used as background noise at this point. The two lovers were enjoying a cuddle, the bed being more than accommodating.

Jake felt the hands lightly stroke his cheek, and the heat rushed up the greet the fingers. The boy turned his head to face the Kryptonian boy that the appendages belonged to. He sent his own hands up to lightly cup the face of the beautiful alien boy. Jake lightly ran his fingers down that face, the cheek bones, the soft skin, the muscles tensing and untensing underneath, the strong jaw line, and the soft lips. The breath lightly tickling his fingers. Like the soft warm breeze of that... Plain he went to.

Jake returned his hands to his own chest, just resting them there. Now staring into those bright, beautiful, blue eyes that were looking back at him with the same intensity. The same want, love, respect, and protectiveness. Slowly sitting up, he put his leg across the Kryptonian's lap, straddling it. The intense blue eyes watching him every step of the way.

Their lips met slowly, almost delicately. The sighs of content and the sound of lips moving against each other in a timeless dance was the only sound to be heard, aside from the Television's drone of some re-running sitcom. The kiss was broken, the blue eyes were clouded with want. This was just what Jake needed.

Jake lightly ran his hands down the Kryptonian's strong torso. Feeling the strong muscles of his pectorals and abdominals. He reached the waistline of the jeans the other boy wore, and the bottom of the black shirt with the red "S" on it. Jake guessed he must have changed before following him here. Deciding to be take this a step further, he began to push up that trademark shirt.

"Jake?" Conner asked softly.  
>The sight of the strong muscles, the ones that belonged to the Superboy, were not a rare sight. However, now he was the one doing it, and being allowed to do it. The Kryptonian raised his arms, and the last of the shirt came off. There was a pause, as Jake simply took in the sight. The blue eyes looking back at him with curiosity, want, and a hint of wonder.<p>

Jake felt the strong hands at the ends of his own shirt. His own body being slowly revealed at a slightly faster pace. He raised his hands and let the fabric leave his torso. He felt the blue eyes scanning his body, from his collar bones, to his chest, each of his pectorals, and down his abdominals.  
>He let his hands travel to the larger boy's chest, and felt the strong hands on his waist. The lips met again. The movement against each other caused the boys to become aroused, the room to become more heated, and the air to become thicker.<p>

He lightly pushed against the chest, flattening the body out against the bed. Jake moved forward, still straddling the alien boy. Leaning down, they revived the kiss. Hands traveling over exposed skin, where they had never explored before.  
>Their love, passion, and intensity being let out in one big show of physical affection. Jake's hands traveled to new territories. Letting his hands go below the belt buckle. Lightly cupping the large bulge between the legs of the Kryptonian. The kiss broke, and the blue eyes remained hidden by the beautiful eyelids.<br>The Superboy moaned against the touch, squirmed even. The large bulge somehow growing even larger. Jake moved his hands to the belt buckle. Hearing the clicks of it as he quickly undid the clasp. The zipper of the jeans were next. He zipped them down teasingly slowly, only to grow impatient. Conner raised his body off the mattress so Jake could slide the jeans off his legs.

He flung the pants across the room, not caring where they landed. Letting his eyes scan the body in front of him was erotic. His eyes darting right to the black boxer-briefs Conner dressed in. They clung to the boy perfectly. Hugging him in all the right places. Jake felt his mouth water at the sight of the long, and thick outline of the Superboy's immense cock.  
>He gulped audibly as he began to pull the underwear off. Trying to be patient, he slowly worked them off of the other boy. But soon he found himself using his telekinesis to rip them off, and throwing the scraps across the room. Jake gaped as he saw his boyfriend, naked beneath stunning muscles, all the down to his large and incredibly sized cock.<p>

"Um... Wow," Jake said. He was still straddling the Superboy, still wearing his own jeans and boxers.

"Your turn," Conner said huskily. Jake felt the strong hands wrap around him, and suddenly he was on his back against the bed. His hands up by his head. The blue eyes staring down at him with intense lust and want. Jake gasped and sighed quietly at the feeling of a hot and wet mouth against his neck.  
>He felt his pants being slowly moved down his legs, soon to be thrown in some remote corner of the room. He wrapped his hands around the strong back of the Superboy, letting out a quiet moan as his neck was still being attacked. Feeling his jeans finally come off his legs completely, he flushed. Conner pulled back from his attack on Jake's neck, and looked the boy over. Jake stared up at those blue eyes, thinking they looked almost... Predatory.<br>He felt his underwear literally rip from his body, as his boyfriend had also gotten impatient. They stared at each other, neither moving. Jake used his telekinesis to shut off the TV, so he could focus on looking at the beautiful boy who was still over him. The blue eyes stared down at him, clouded with lust and hunger. Jake nodded softly, and their lips met again.

The room was filled with grunts, sighs, moans, and creaks from the bed. The two were underneath the covers, heat pouring off their bodies, but not escaping. Conner thrust into Jake slowly, and passionately. Making quiet, yet powerful love. Jake was on his back, his arms and legs wrapped around Conner who was thrusting into him in a harsh and powerful rhythm. Sweat was dripping from the tips of Conner's hair. His mouth was a thin, determined line as he watched Jake fall apart beneath him.

"Don't stop, don't stop, oh god, Conner!" Jake breathed out as he clung to the Kryptonian.

"Shit, Jake... Ah!" Conner groaned, snapping his hips into Jake more sharply. He was gripped the sheets so tightly, they were beginning to rip. Conner moved to working on Jake's neck again. Jake whimpered and turned his head to give the boy more access.  
>Conner's thrusts became more frantic and lost their rhythm. The climax building.<p>

"Conner, _Conner,_" Jake moaned, feeling the first pinpricks of his orgasm. "Faster... Faster!" Conner obeyed, and began to slam into Jake at an erratic pace.

"I-I'm close!" Conner breathed out harshly. He moved his mouth onto Jake's, and the two shared the most passionate kiss they'd ever had. They came in silence, both of them still, riding out the waves of pleasure circulating through their bodies. Conner collapsed onto Jake, and Jake let out a small 'oof'. Conner wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, and rolled them both into a spooning position.

"That was... Amazing," Jake panted.

"Yeah..." Conner breathed out. Jake felt the strong arms wrap around him once again, as the two snuggled under the covers, damp with their sweat. The room smelled like sex, but neither boy minded. They drifted off into a deep, loving sleep. Jake completely forgetting the trauma of the earlier hours of the day.

Jake's eyes slowly opened. The strong arms from the night before, wrapped around him protectively. Jake could feel the muscles of Conner's body pressed against his back, as well as other parts of him. The blush crept up onto Jake's face as he remembered the previous night.

The way they had just... Done it. No planning, no talk, no protection, they just... Went for it. And damn, was it successful. He heard the Kryptonian boy rouse from his slumber, and let out a yawn.

"S'goin' on?" Conner slurred sleepily. Jake smiled softly.  
>"Shh. Go back to sleep Kon, it's still early," Jake whispered.<p>

"Mmkay," Conner replied. He tightened his hold around Jake's body, and went back to sleeping. "Mine." Jake made a mental note to remember sleepy Kon was the best thing in the world.

Jake tried to go back to sleep himself, but something plagued his mind. He knew something. Something had happened in his mind last night. He closed his eyes, trying to recall what he'd dreamt about. Imaged flashed in his mind, of death, destruction, and a post-apocalyptic world. Something that was... Similar, and yet extremely different from the training exercise.

Not being able to pinpoint exactly what it was, he let his mind drift the week that had just passed. How Conner had spent nearly every day here. Helping him cope with his physical changes, and new powers. Jake had been so scared, so terrified of what this meant. Almost like his subconscious knew something he didn't. And it was slowly unlocking his hidden potentials as time went on.

YOUNG JUSTICE

"Jake... I can't imagine, what you went through during that. Seeing your friends die in front of you like that, not to mention the way you went... It must have been awful," Black Canary responded. Or should he call her Dinah? Jake stared at the floor. Not really wanting to talk about it. But who was he to shove off Dinah? After all she'd done for them. Now that he was skilled in hand-to-hand combat, it was the least he could do.

"Yeah... That'd be an understatement. I felt it all... Felt my limbs being ripped from my body, felt the way my emotions acted on their own, and the way that I just... Leaped into action without thinking. Especially when Robin had told Conner to be a distraction," Jake responded. He ran a hand across his face. "I used to think I could handle pain, handle loss, handle having to see this type of scenario... But after that, I'm not sure anymore. The whole thing just added insult to injury."

"What do you mean by that?" Dinah asked him. Jake looked up at her. Wondering if he should really tell her. The only other person that knew the truth was Conner.

"I just... I've been changing. I'm different. And none of it was voluntary. At least not consciously. This hair? I didn't do it. Flying? My stronger telekinesis? My red eyes? I didn't ask for it. None of it. It just... Happened. I feel like I've lost control of my own body. And the one person I can really go talk to... Is god-knows-where, and I don't even know if he's alright," Jake explained. Dinah slightly tilted her head.

"Conner may not be here, but I'm here. I'm always here to listen. So these changes in your powers and appearance... Happened overnight?" Dinah clarified. Jake hoped she didn't go into super-powered puberty crap. Because that wasn't was this was.

"Yeah... I've been weirded out all week. My body having changed in some way every time I wake up. It all stopped after the night of the training exercise. But that doesn't mean everything's peachy now, either. I... It's hard to explain..." Jake trailed off. Dinah gave him a sympathetic look.

"Jake. Whatever it is you're going through, you've got people here who care about you. And you can always, always talk to me. You know that," Dinah said softly.  
>"I know... Thank you, Dinah. But I just can't shake the feeling... That my days are limited," Jake finally said. Dinah's eyes widened.<p>

"Jake... What does that mean? You think you're going to die soon?" she asked. Jake nodded.

"Yeah... See I had this dream... Except I'm not sure it was a dream anymore. It was... Several years into the future. And... Things had changed. The world was... Different. Everything was dry, and there were no habitable cities. It was... Post-apocalyptic almost. And when I got here? I found the team... Some of them were... Gone. But others, like Conner were still here. And they told me that... Something was coming. Whatever it was, had done that to Earth. They said, that it'd be coming soon. They told me the exact date, but I can't for the life of me remember it. But they said, I was the only one who could stop it.

Who could stop that future from happening," Jake explained. "I know it sounds crazy... But I just can't shake the feeling that it's real."  
>Dinah's eyes were wide, and yet calming at the same time. She said nothing. Just looking at him. Jake's eyes were sad, scared, and yet... Accepting. He wasn't the clingy type, not at all, but he still wanted Conner there. Of course, the Kryptonian boy was... Somewhere. Doing whatever it was he did when he was on his own.<p>

"Jake... I don't know what to say. Do you mind if I tell this to Bruce? The part about your dream, that is," Dinah asked him. Jake shook his head.

"Go ahead. I probably would have told him myself. I see him kind of regularly," Jake responded. Dinah nodded. And looked like she was mulling something over in her head. Jake slowly rose to his feet, and looked over at the door. "Dinah could you do me a favor?"

"Sure. What did you have in mind?" Dinah answered. Jake avoided eye contact with her.

"If you see Clark... Could you tell him, that I wanna talk to him?" Jake asked. Dinah raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

"Of course. Can I ask about what?" Dinah asked him.

"About giving Conner a chance. I know, that Bruce already tried, but he doesn't know Conner like I do. About how much Superman really means to him. He really looks up to the guy, y'know?" Jake said. Dinah nodded.

"Yes, absolutely. I'll do that," Dinah responded.

"Thanks Dinah, really," Jake said. He made his exit shortly after. Making his way down the hallways of the Cave. He found his thoughts drifting from past event to past event. With each step Jake felt almost nothing change. Moving at a rather slow pace, he made his way down the seemingly never ending hallways that made up the hallways. Man these times were hard.

He felt himself smile, even though he was close to tears. Where were the tears coming from? He had no idea. Nothing had happened that day had caused anywhere close to these emotions. He could feel that lump in his throat, the moisture behind his eyes gathering, all the signs were present. He leaned against the wall, let his head fall back, and gave up the fight against them.

The tears tickling his cheeks as they made their way down. Usually he shook when he cried, and sniffled, and usually his expression was twisted with sadness. But his face stayed the same, the tears flowing freely. Jake thought that maybe, there was something, or someone inside him that was crying. Reaching out for help. Trying to make it work, but just kept getting knocked down.

He closed his eyes, the tears not stopping. His breathing was normally paced, and wasn't coming out in blocks like it normally did when he cried. Truthfully, if one were to look at him, they'd think he was just relaxing against the wall. Minus the tears that forced themselves to appear on to his face.

Jake lost track of the time that had passed again. He was sure it wasn't hours, not even one, but it had been several minutes. Several minutes of tears pouring from an unknown source. Acting of their own will. But finally, finally they were stopping. He wiped at his eyes, trying to dry them off.

He moved from his position against the wall, and returned to moving down the hallway. Moving back to whatever destination he had originally planned for himself. Which he now wasn't sure he could remember. He felt his arms wrap around himself again. Though he wasn't sad, at least consciously, his body was showing all the signs of hurt. All the signs that something was wrong, that something needed fixing. But what could it be?

He wanted to go to Conner's room. Even though he knew Conner was... Doing whatever the hell he was doing. Yeah... That sounded like a plan. Something he should do. He turned the corner, changing his course to find the Kryptonian's room. The hallway had become familiar to him, now that they'd been dating.  
>Jake felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. But for no reason. He'd just had a great conversation with Dinah, and was <em>hopefully <em>going to be able to talk to Clark about Conner. So why did he feel like roadkill? Or something to that equivalent?  
>He approached the door, and it opened for him. Of course it did. Conner never locked his door. Walking in, he surveyed the room. Mostly empty, not much to note about it. The pants, shirts, and underwear scattered across the room. Jake smiled softly to himself at a time when these clothes were scattered across his own floor. A night he'd never forget. And yet, it was special there. Like a place of safety.<br>He toed off his shoes, and made his way over to the unmade bed. Sitting on it almost as if it were made of glass. He'd wait for Conner. Because he knew, that whenever Conner came back, he'd need someone there for him.

YOUNG JUSTICE

Conner moved slowly, almost nervously, towards the room where he knew Black Canary would be waiting for him. He's filed his report to Batman and J'onn, and was just... Tired. A long day of finding out what Sphere really was, fighting enemies from other dimensions, and teaming up with people from New Genesis. They're being generous in letting him keep her, that much he's grateful for.  
>He didn't <em>want <em>to talk about the training exercise. Didn't want to truly admit the way he felt about it. But in a way, he knew he had to. Had to get it off his chest. He'd tell Black Canary first, and Jake... Especially Jake. Because he deserved to know.

He reached the door, to the "therapy" room. She was sitting there waiting for him, looking like she'd just arrived. Maybe she had left, and come back? Either way, it wasn't his business to know. He didn't really care either way.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the room. The door sliding open for him. Black Canary watched him from behind soft and caring eyes. Completely different from when she was in combat or in authority mode. He wasn't surprised that she had agreed to talk to him again. Even though he had stormed off on her earlier.

Sighing, he went over to the seat that was directly across from her. She hadn't said a word. She was going to let him to all the talking. Great. Conner decided he'd better get this over with. So he could get over this aching need to get this off his chest.

"Here's the ugly truth: I _wasn't _devastated. Even with Superman, Tornado, you, the whole League dead... Even though I didn't save Wolf, watched Artemis and Kaldur die, and Jake bleeding to death in my arms. I felt... At peace," Conner said. Black Canary's eyes widened, and her mouth opened a little. Almost like she wanted to say something to him, but she didn't. She remained silent. "See, from the moment I first opened my eyes in that cadmus pod, there's been one thing I've wanted, and feared: To know, what it is to _be _Superman. And I know. So I was, tch, I was happy. Everyone I care about, dead or traumatized... And I'm happy. How do I get past the guilt of that? How do I live with myself?" Black Canary leaned forward and put her hand on his knee. A comforting gesture, but not the one he really needed at the moment.

"I don't have any easy answers, Conner," she said. She looked into his eyes. "But one thing is clear. Admitting it, is the first step." Conner nodded.

"But where do I go from here? How... How can I face Jake after that?" Conner asked sadly.

"I don't know him like you do. But I think the best thing you could do right now, is talk to him," Black Canary answered.

"How can I when he's probably mad at me?" he asked again.

"Conner... Jake loves you. And I have a feeling... That nothing will ever change that," Black Canary answered him. Conner decided to take her word for it. He got up, and left the room without another word. Black Canary remained in her seat, and waited until he was gone before she used the comm to call Bruce. They needed to talk. As soon as possible.  
>Conner walked down the hallway, wondering what he should do next. Should he really talk to Jake? Or just... Avoid him? He wasn't sure how Jake would take hearing that... Not sure if the two would survive that kind of feeling. No he shouldn't hide anything from him. Jake had been nothing but honest with him. Nothing but Conner's own knight in shining armor. Saving him in more ways than he could keep track of.<p>

Moving at the slow pace he had when he originally heading towards that room, he made his way to his own room. Wanting to sleep. Hoping that his blankets, sheets, and pillows would be able to provide the same amount of comfort as a person would. And it was just this once... That he needed someone to fight for him. Someone to keep him safe.  
>He rounded that one corner, to his own hallway. He hoped... That maybe... Just maybe... There'd be an Angel in his room. Some sort of savior. To whisk him away to paradise, where these feelings of guilt, self-hatred, and disgust weren't there. Where he could be genuinely happy. Without the cost of his friend's lives, or the world.<p>

Finally reaching the door to his room, he stepped within its range, and the door slid open for him. He was watching the ground as he walked in. Not bothering to look around. Not wanting to. As nothing had changed. He moved towards where he knew his bed would be. Not noticing Jake's shoes on the floor.

He looked up just as he reached his bed. To see Jake's sweet, beautiful, red eyes looking up at him. With a caring, loving, and deep expression. Conner looked away from those eyes. He couldn't face them. Not after what he'd just said. Not after all he'd admitted to himself.  
>Either way, he sat roughly onto the bed. Not bothering to actually try and hold up a conversation. Neither of them said anything. Conner wondered if Jake was mad at him. He didn't look mad, but Jake one hell of a damn poker-face. Conner sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. Still not looking over at Jake.<p>

"Hey," Jake said softly. Using the tips of his fingers to lightly stroke Conner's face. Conner wasn't sure he'd be able to keep it together.

"I'm fine," he said a little too quickly. Fuck. He hoped Jake wouldn't pry to see what was wrong. Instead, he felt Jake's arms wrap around him. A hug that he desperately needed. Jake was kneeling on the bed, so that he was higher vertically. Conner leaned into Jake's chest. Not as firm as his own, but still perfect.

Conner looked sadly at the floor. Letting Jake just hold him. Should he tell him? Should he tell him what he just told Black Canary? That he was happy during that entire exercise? Feeling at peace? Finally being Superman? "Jake... I have to tell you something." Conner felt his eyes beginning to sting slightly. Was this what crying felt like?

"Anything," Jake replied softly. Conner took a deep breath. Preparing to repeat the same speech he'd made only minutes ago. And yet this time... It was so much harder to say. A lot harder than any physical challenge he's ever had to deal with.

"During the training exercise... I," Conner started. He was choking on his words. Feeling the lump in his throat. Was he really about to cry? Was he really going to be this weak? "I wasn't devastated... I was... I was happy." He heard Jake's breath hitch, heard his heartbeat change. Could almost feel Jake's emotions heading south. "All I've ever wanted... Was to know what it felt like to _be _Superman. And during all that chaos, with the entire League dead, I... I knew. And I was happy. Everyone's traumatized... I'm happy. Happy I got to know what it was like."

"Mm," Jake replied. Conner felt Jake's muscles tense around him. His own emotions were unraveling, and Jake's were hardening. Maybe he really shouldn't have told him this.

"I don't know how I can live with myself. What am I supposed to do?" Conner asked. His strong shoulders beginning to shake. He was being weak. He had never cried before. Never. Never been this vulnerable. Never trusted anyone this much. Jake's hold tightened around him. Conner had his shoulder to cry on... His knight in shining armor had come for him again. More than he could ever ask for.

"Kon... I wish I knew what to tell you. But for what it's worth? You'll always be my Superman," Jake said softly. Conner felt his Jake's hand start to rub his back softly. Conner just let himself go. The tears falling down his cheeks, for the first time in his very short life. Jake's arms disappeared from his body for a second, before he felt his torso being turned. He looked into Jake's red eyes, with his own blue tear-filled ones. Conner's face was twisted in sadness and confusion.

Jake gave him a more traditional hug. Conner silently cried into Jake's shoulder. Mentally beating himself up for being so weak. So... Pathetic. He was supposed to be the strong one. _He _was supposed to be the rock. But now Jake was his rock. No, his world.

Jake knew Conner was upset. Holding him while he cried was never something he saw himself doing. But hey, he was here whenever needed. He would always be. Conner needed his help. Needed comforting, needed someone to hold him, to be an emotional rock. Jake was glad he could be that person, and so much more to Conner. Which why it makes it so much harder to leave him.

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><p><strong>AN: So what did you think? Was the sex okay? I... Spent a little too much time writing it. I personally, think it went pretty well. But I really want to know what you think. And what do you think about that ending? Was Conner crying too much? I just wanted to write him as... Not such an emotional rock after all. I mean... I know he technically is, but after that discussion with Black Canary I just thought he would break down. It just kinda happened. **

**And before you ask... Yes, Jake does know virtually every member of the League's secret identity. Isara knows, and he's met most of them out of costume. Just thought you'd like to know what bit of trivia. **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: HEY! Long time no see? I don't... Know the answer to that actually. This episode takes place during the "Secrets" episode. Which is basically just a huge reference to the original Young Justice comics. Like actually... It is. Anyways. This chapter has some pretty dark moments in it. Like... Gorey. I'll put a warning up before it, but it MAY be a trigger for you. Can't be too careful. Anyways, enjoy.**

* * *

><p>The silken brush of feathers against skin startled T'mere awake. She pulled her hand back sharply, blue eyes flying open, searching for the source of the contact. It took her a moment to remember that there <em>was<em> another winged creature in the room with her. And no, he was not going to try to throw her under the sacrificial knife.

Breathing a sigh of relief, T'mere sank back into her chair, struggling to get her bearings. She was still in the infirmary, probably had been all night. No surprise there - what reason could she have to get up and leave Na'shak lying here for just anyone to discover? It was her luck that no one had tried to come in while she slept. Or perhaps not luck. She had no way of knowing whether or not Black Canary had given orders for the team to keep away from the infirmary.

She ran her long fingers through her hair, felt the sheathed points of claws scrape against her scalp. She had never noticed them before... Angel had truly been an airhead. What priest had constructed that personality, she wondered? It was a beautifully contrived shield. Replace the escapee with an air-headed pacifist, and they would never have the opportunity to locate all their natural weapons. T'mere was lucky she had survived long enough to retake her body. She did not doubt that those who had escaped before had died upon impact - it was not every being who had Superman there to break their fall. Which begged the question of how Na'shak might have survived... but she knew better than to second-guess the motives of the Goddess. He was a priest - a wildly faithful priest. The first law of belief among the People was that the Goddess protected her sons above all others. That was why the priests survived so much longer than any member of her long-lived race. Even the immortal had to die in battle, without a divine hand there to catch them.

Slowly, T'mere lowered her hand, gazing at her fingertips. As Fever, she wore gloves. As Angel, her natural instincts were suppressed by a desire to preserve life. Between Fever and Angel, there had never been a chance for her to discover these claws. That desire was gone now. She could feel her claws aching to slip from beneath her human nails, rend flesh and draw blood. It had always seemed odd - useful, but odd - to her that a creature of such death-lust could be presented with her healing powers. Life worked in mysterious ways. At least now she might be of some use to the team. Healing was not of much use on a team which included a Kryptonian.

A subtle shift in the monotonous beep of the heart monitor lifted T'mere's eyes from her speculation of her hand. She focused on the spiked green lines of the monitor, watched the double-jump of Na'shak's twin hearts. He had not stirred since she had returned his memories to him. His mind had shut down in an attempt to handle the massive influx of information. His stillness did not particularly concern T'mere, apart from the fact that a member of the team could come here and find them at any minute. Now, however, the pace of his heartbeat had changed. She set her palm lightly over her own echoing pulse. His sped to match hers. She felt the bond resealed.

Na'shak reopened his eyes.

For a moment, he seemed confused, his gaze glazed as he stared around the infirmary without recognition. T'mere knew the feeling. For a couple of seconds after she had regained her own eyes, she had found this place confusing, even with Angel's memories. Na'shak did not have the advantage of a second consciousness that had been living on this world for months. He was out of his league, unable to even speak fluent English. He knew only as much as the People were taught to prepare them for a possible war with the Justice League. He seemed to handle it well, however. His heartbeat remained calm as his eyes wandered, meandering their way down to meet hers, dark to light, brown to blue. He gazed at her, and there was recognition. T'mere's lips twitched into a smile.

"Welcome back to our world," she whispered, rising slowly from her chair. She leaned over him until her great white wings, half-spread, formed a sort of tent. Blocked out the stark white and foreign machines of the infirmary.

"T'mere," Na'shak whispered. His voice cracked. "This is where you've been?" T'mere nodded silently, expressionless. Waiting. His brow pinched tightly together, confused. "It shouldn't have been. I would never have sent you here..." he trailed off, coughing quietly. T'mere touched the tips of her fingers to his throat to soothe the ache. He said nothing for a moment, searching for his train of thought. "The Justice League has not found you?"

His words made T'mere laugh. The Justice League... yes, she remembered that now. Her people, rulers of the Otherverse, so paranoid over a League of heroes which existed in another realm. Another dimension. Here, separate from her people, unable to open portals. The only reason that the People might have needed to worry about fighting the Justice League was if _they_ had launched an invasion into [i]this[/i] universe, and yet T'mere's parents, in partnership with the High Priestess, prepared constantly for the attack of the Justice League. Small children were taught that if they did not obey their parents, Superman would come and steal them from their beds. What a ridiculous thought.

"We are with the League now, Na'shak," T'mere told him quietly. Fear flared in his eyes. She cut him off before he could speak. "They are not what you think."

Na'shak's priestly teachings warred with him for a moment... but Na'shak had been servant longer than priest. Obedience to his owner won out. Swallowing his fears, he nodded his understanding. If T'mere said that the Justice League were his friends, it was so. T'mere reached up to fiddle with the streak of white at Na'shak's temple.

"I must go to my friends," she told him softly. "They... do not know who I really am yet. I must speak to them before they see you." Na'shak started to sit up, but T'mere planted a firm fist in his chest, forced him back onto the bed. "Rest here. I will return."

Na'shak nodded silently and flopped back into bed, wrapping his own smoke-gray wings about him for warmth. He closed his eyes. T'mere watched him a moment longer before turning and whisking out of the infirmary.

Even as Angel, T'mere had never had trouble locating the other members of the team. She walked with certainty down the halls - walked, not flew. Angel had never been smart about her energy consumption. Walking, T'mere could go for days without food. Which would make gathering in the kitchen, as everyone usually did, rather interesting. The thought of just sitting at snack-times and watching Wally stuff his face brought a brief smile of amusement to her lips. It vanished in minutes.

If there was one truly irritating thing about being herself again, it was the amount of space in T'mere's head now that Angel had gone. Angel had never thought with clarity, because having two consciousnesses stuffed into one skull, one brain, had fogged the thoughts of both sides. With her whole head to herself, T'mere never seemed to _stop_ thinking. Always, she was worrying over something. Silly things - would M'gann accept her as T'mere? Would the others? What would Diana think when Black Canary told her what had happened? - and not so silly things - now that there were two of the People here, would the Justice League consider her a threat? Would she be removed from the team? Would the priests cross over from the Otherverse to find their two escapees? No matter what it was, she was always thinking. It wound her too tightly. No peace, only activity, and as much as she enjoyed having herself to herself, she missed the chance to be an airhead. Airheads were always happy, and T'mere felt no doubt now that it was because they could not actually _think_.

Now, the worries that stiffened her spine and caused her nervous wings to beat were of her team. Not whether they would accept her - she was fairly certain they would. Not whether M'gann would still love her - if M'gann could not love who she really was, they had never loved at all. Instead, she was plagued by the thought that perhaps she was the _only_ one whose life had been improved by the disastrous psychic training session. The others had not seen death, at least not as much as she had, and as far as she knew none of them had ever taken a life. Not on purpose. T'mere had killed more creatures than she could count, more creatures than she had feathers on her wings. She had lead the palace to war against rebels among the People. She had killed her own kind. She had _eaten_ her own kind. Death was of no concern to her. Not even her _own_ death.

The others... they were not so lucky.

T'mere blinked clear of her thoughts already standing at the door to the kitchen. She could hear voices beyond - M'gann, baking, her nervous habit. Wally, eating, his constant habit. After a moment of eavesdropping, she was fairly certain that the pair of them were the only ones in the room. Good. She had wanted to talk to M'gann alone - Wally should be easy enough to chase away.

With a roll of her shoulders, T'mere stepped through the door. At first, no one saw her. It gave her the opportunity to examine their faces. Wally seemed remarkably quiet, for Wally. Subdued, she might even say. M'gann seemed equally upset, though she expressed it not in quiet, but in the increasing pace of her cooking. There were ingredients flying everywhere around the kitchen, like some sort of cookie cyclone. T'mere's lips twitched at the thought. She strode deeper into the kitchen, her boots clicking loudly on the tile, announcing her approach.

Though M'gann looked up, it was Wally who moved first, at T'mere's side before she could blink. She froze as he slung his arm across her shoulders, brushing against the lifted joints of her half-folded wings. The touch made them tingle uncomfortably.

"Hey there, Angel-face," he grinned at her, his tone jovial, a sharp contrast to his expression only moments before. He squeezed her shoulders gently. Irritation trickled down her spine. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"Don't call me that," T'mere told him coldly. She slipped out from beneath Wally's arm, giving her wings a light flap to push him further away. "M'gann, a word?"

M'gann frowned slightly as the food tornado in the kitchen drew to a halt. For a moment there was silence. Predictably, it was Wally who spoke first.

"What's with the British accent?"

"A _moment_, please, M'gann?" T'mere repeated, pointedly ignoring Wally. The kitchen slowly floated back into a resting position.

"Sure," M'gann agreed, walking away from her half-finished cookies. T'mere led her out into the hall, leaving Wally standing dumbfounded in the middle of the kitchen.

T'mere found herself inexplicably nervous as they walked down the hall in the general direction of M'gann's rooms. Those same worries echoed in her head once more - would M'ganns be upset? Would she hate the new Angel? Would she refuse T'mere...? T'mere had to believe that M'gann would not. If she thought otherwise she was never, ever going to get through these next few minutes.

They were nearly to M'gann's door before the Martian broke the silence. She picked up the pace, nearly jogging to catch up with T'mere. M'gann ducked around T'mere's wings, slipping in front of the nervous angel, forcing her to come to a halt.

"Angel, what's wrong?" M'gann asked anxiously. T'mere started to object, but found that the name did not bother her so much when spoken through Angel's lips. She let it slide, staring at M'gann through eyes of calm blue. She said nothing, letting M'gann examine the depths of her soul through those eyes. Two heartbeats, then comprehension. M'gann slapped her forehead lightly. "Hello, Megan! You got your memories back!"

Swallowing tightly, T'mere nodded. Worry had swollen her throat shut.

"Why are you so scared?" M'gann asked, smiling, but T'mere could see that the Martian was just as anxious. Both of them thinking along the same path - will things be the same?

"Because I'm not... Angel anymore," T'mere answered her with complete honesty. M'gann deserved no less, and T'mere did not lie to her friends. M'gann reached up, laid a deep green hand across T'mere's cheek. T'mere had never been so glad to find this part of the cave abandoned before.

"You're the same person," M'gann murmured, leaning in close to T'mere. Their faces hovered, foreheads touching, breath hot, but they did not kiss. There was no passion in this moment - only comfort and relief. "But what's your name...?"

There was no struggling, for T'mere. She did not have to swallow the response. She found she did not want M'gann to know. Not yet.

"Call me Angel," she whispered into the Martian's ear, wrapping her arms around her lover. Her wings encased them both in darkness. "Only you... will call me Angel."

YOUNG JUSTICE

Five Days Later

Halloween had come, bringing with it a much needed distraction from all which had come down on the team in recent weeks. It brought distraction to T'mere. The others were still growing accustomed to this new version of Angel. She got the feeling that she set their teeth on edge, not because they disliked her but T'mere as she was now seemed a complete contrast to what they had known before, from this body. Where her friends expected a gentle laugh or a clueless comment, they received only sarcasm and sharp retorts. Even the way she had announced herself to them had been remarkably pointed. _"My name is T'mere. Never call me Angel again." _Of course, several of them had slipped since then, but she had made nothing of it. They would become accustomed to it soon enough.

Nevertheless, the holiday was a welcome change. Even T'mere, who did not understand the concept of dressing one's self up in a silly costume or how it might appeal to anyone, could not help but be caught up in the others' excitement. Which was not to say that she had any intention of going with them to the dance. How could she? A pair of wings eighteen feet in length was bound to be noticed, even at a costume party. Besides, she had something else she had to be doing.

The team had gathered together in their costumes, chattering excitedly. T'mere took that as her cue to depart. She slipped out the zeta tube before anyone could realize that she was missing.

T'mere took to the air the instant she came out on the other side of the tube, winging rapidly away from the cityscape and towards the distant hills where her mentor waited. It felt like years had passed since she had last flown to meet Diana in private, to spend time with the woman who had trained her. So much had changed since those days on Themyscira, there was so much now that T'mere had to leave behind to do it. Even now it felt almost wrong to have abandoned Na'shak to his own devices. But the warrior was a strong, independent man, for a slave. He could take care of himself for one night. T'mere needed to see Diana. Needed to confirm what she had been told - that these new memories, this new persona, really had changed next to nothing.

Soaring on a draft of heat, over the tops of trees, T'mere searched for the clearing Diana had called her to earlier that afternoon. The sun was setting beyond the western hills, staining the sky - and by extension her brilliant white wings - to a dusty red. An almost bloodstained color that reminded T'mere of her old home in the Otherverse. It made her wonder how much Black Canary had told Wonder Woman. Not much, she was certain - if anyone knew anything at all, it would be Batman. No, Diana would know little of her bloodstained past. Nothing more than what she could guess from the natural skill T'mere had always displayed with a sword. That would give T'mere some small chance, at least, to prove that she was still in some way the same person.

Spotting a tall, lean figure amongst the thick evergreens, T'mere dipped her wings close to her side and arced down out of the sky. She fell quickly, green shooting up to meet her eyes, not opening her wings until the very last instant. They boomed with air, and she touched down with just enough momentum to leave a dip in the mossy forest floor. Diana looked up at the noise. Whatever emotion was there in her eyes, T'mere could not put a name to it.

"T'mere," Diana greeted her. A tiny smile played at the corner of her lips, the same hesitant smile which toyed with T'mere's face. Neither of them knew exactly what to do in this situation. Like master, like apprentice.

"Diana," T'mere answered, re-adjusting her wings to give herself time to think. Drawing a deep breath, she closed the space between them. Diana's control cracked. Her smile came through.

"I heard something about your accent," she observed, looking T'mere up and down. She seemed to approve of the new strength she found there. Nothing physicaly - purely mental. "They were right. British."

"I do not understand how," T'mere answered. "I have never been to Britain."

Diana laughed. T'mere breathed a sigh of relief. She had not lost her place here, either. Perhaps... just maybe, everything really was going to work out.

"I'm so happy for you," Diana told her. T'mere offered no response, simply stepping forwards and embracing her teacher. Diana returned the hug. It felt the same - warm, welcoming, almost motherly. Not that T'mere had any clue what motherly actually felt like. Her mother had stood by and watched as the priests attempted to herd her in for the sacrifice...

"Thank you," T'mere answered, smiling to herself. Coming to Earth had been nothing but a blessing to her. She preferred humans over the People any day. Diana pulled away, holding T'mere at arms length and continuing to examine her. It was funny, T'mere thought, how people kept doing that. She knew her appearance had not changed, so why the sudden fascination with looking at her?

"It's been a long time," Diana observed. "Walk with me?"

"Of course," T'mere agreed. The pair of them set off in silence, weaving between the trees. Sticks and leaves crunched softly where they walked, neither of them paying much mind to stealth. There would be no one out here to spot them but the squirrels and the birds and other such winged, jumping things.

They wandered comfortably. Safe. A nice change from the violent life of a pair of heroines. Neither of them felt any need to break the silence. They had long ago overcome any hesitation, any discomfort between them. Each knew the other like the back of their hand. At least, they had. T'mere was a mystery to Diana, yet Wonder Woman did not seem put off by that. She acted the same, looked at T'mere the same way as she had looked at Angel. It was comforting. T'mere felt like she could still talk to her.

"Diana?" she asked as they passed through the shadow of a massive hemlock. Diana turned to her, raised an eyebrow in questioning. "Do you ever miss Themyscira?" Wonder Woman's eyes softened.

"You miss your home," she observed quietly. And T'mere did, somewhere deep inside, but not enough to go home. No... she could not return to that place, where the priests would still be out for her blood. Years would pass before the Goddess would take the declaration from her name, remove her from the sacrificial table. Years before she would be able to go back and exact her revenge...

"I miss some of it," T'mere agreed. "And some of the people there."

"Some?" Diana asked. T'mere nodded. Diana laid a hand gently on the ridge of T'mere's wings, stroking the soft feathers. "You can tell me anything. You know that."

T'mere kept her eyes fixed straight ahead. Should she tell? Could she not? Since she had come here, Diana had been her first and strongest ally. Now they stood on more or less equal footing, T'mere far older than Diana, Diana more experienced. The more confident one. Who should be taking advice from whom? Difficult to say. Nevertheless, T'mere knew that if the People decided to attack the Justice League... just to make things a little easier for this world, to make it just that much simpler for the League to defeat her race, someone more than Batman and Black Canary should know what they were like.

She did not pause for breath. She did not stop to warn Diana of what she was going to do. She simply broke in on her story, started talking and did not stop. She gave Diana more detail than she had given Black Canary - slipping in mention of her race's choice weapons, their belief that the Goddess guided their blades, that she would point them in the direction of their next great enemy. She did not say outright that the People saw the League as a threat, but she doubted Wonder Woman would need that small detail. Knowing how the People fought - that would be enough to keep Diana alive if war were ever to descend.

As her tale reached its end, as she plummeted through the portal into Superman's arms, T'mere's voice faded into silence. She watched Diana's face, wondering what the woman was thinking. Her mentor gave nothing away.

"Black Canary said that your name was T'mere," she observed quietly. "Is that right?" T'mere nodded, but she said nothing, waiting. "Your people sound dangerous."

"They can be," T'mere whispered. "If they decide that you are their enemy."

"Just like you."

Diana stopped, turning to face T'mere. She put a strong hand on the Person's shoulder and squeezed.

"If you ever want to go back there," she told T'mere, "you are free to return."

T'mere sighed shortly and smiled at Diana.

"I think you all need me down here," she answered. Diana smiled too.

"And we are glad to have you."

T'mere nodded, turning her face into the fading sunlight. Only the very last sliver of the golden disc was visible over the tops of the trees - a gently burning crescent.

"The others will be dancing now," she observed calmly.

"And you do not want to join them?"

"I don't dance," T'mere agreed. "I was thinking of flying tonight." She reached back to rub her wings. She'd done too little flying in the past week - they would get stiff if she was not careful.

"Then go fly," Diana gave her a gentle push. "And come talk to me when you get the chance. I would love to get to know you better, T'mere."

T'mere turned. She held Diana's eyes in her own for a moment, fixing their gazes. She was never one to flinch from eye contact. After one thought-filled instant, her wings burst open, and she shot into the sky like an arrow from a bow.

YOUNG JUSTICE

Leaving Diana, T'mere was not exactly sure where it was she wanted to go. The strong Northern wind caught up beneath her wings and bore her away towards Metropolis without her bidding, but she made no attempt to cut through the current. To her, Metropolis was much like any other city. Noisy and dirty and filled with chaos and crime... but at the same time beautiful. Thriving. The heart of the beast which was human existence. The embodiment of opposites, it drew T'mere easily into its depths. She soon found herself soaring not over trees, but the tops of buildings, networking streets full of cars. In the darkness, the city lit up like a sea of stars.

T'mere tilted into the wind, aiming West towards the horizon where the sun had recently vanished. Moonlight glinted off of the broad white faces of her wings, so that she seemed to glow against the night sky. Far below she could hear the whispers of those few civilians who bothered to look up. She found it pleasantly surprising that some of them spotted her, though they could not say who she was. Hawkwoman, some claimed. Silly. Her wings were the wrong color.

Not entirely certain where she was going, or why, T'mere found herself watching the flocks of children far below as they ran about in their wild costumes. Most of the ones who were actually on the street were not children, really, but wayward teens. Traveling from one party to the next, some drunk, some just high off life. They reminded her of her friends - how was the team doing, she wondered, wherever they were?

No reason to worry. They would be enjoying themselves.

The shrill wail of police sirens distracted T'mere. Her wingbeats faltered, and she dropped a foot before re-gaining altitude. Shouting assaulted her next, and she aimed for the sound, beating harder against the wind. In the distance she could see their spinning, brilliantly colored lights. What sort of people, she wondered, would ruin a night as exciting as Halloween? The poor children...

Irritated with.. whatever this was, and the fact that she was obviously going to have to interrupt her flight to go find out what was happening, T'mere tucked into a dive. Air funneled through her wings, the ground - littered with police cruisers - racing up to meet her. She broke only at the last minute, air booming into her wings and cutting off her descent. She landed several meters back from the car-side barricade behind which the officers had taken shelter. Several men spun to face her, perhaps fearful of an attack from behind. Unperturbed, she tucked her wings against her back and hunted down the nervous eyes of the man... woman in charge.

"Lieutenant," T'mere greeted her flatly. Her boots snapped against the pavement as she strode forwards to join them under cover of the cruisers. The woman glanced at her uniform and seemed to decide that it would be a good idea not to chase her off. "What do we have here?"

"Bank robbery," the lieutenant answered. She fidgeted with her gun, sweeping a stray sprig of hair behind one ear. She was a very pretty human, face pointed and deeply tanned. Reminded T'mere a bit of Cassidy, in her mannerisms. "Armed, with hostages."

"Have the targets moved?" T'mere asked, turning back to face the doors of the bank.

"We don't know," the lieutenant answered. "They took the camera-"

The bank doors burst open, and two men dressed all in black came dashing out with their guns alight. All around T'mere, the officers flinched and ducked tighter under cover. She hardly twitched, watching them run. They carried bags. Heavy bags. The hostages had been cooperative...

Good.

"If you will all excuse me," T'mere whispered, pulling her wings open again. The blast of air as she took off knocked the lieutenant off of her feet, but T'mere had no time to look back. She arched high over the police line, listening to the start of friendly fire, and fell into pursuit of the fleeing criminals.

T'mere could not have said exactly why she was doing it. Boredom, perhaps, or the intense sense of justice Diana had drilled into her skill. It clashed oddly with the teachings of the People. Diana had always believed that crimes like theft should be fairly punished with jailtime, or other non-life-threatening things. The People killed anyone who got in their way.

The two philosophies combined to create T'mere - they stole something and they crossed my path. Time to beat them into the street.

Flying high over their heads, the criminals did not see T'mere until it was far too late. Busy fleeing from the inaccurate fire of a bunch of panicked police-men, they were easy to pick off. Or rather, pick up. T'mere seized one of them roughly by the collar and with a surging flap of his wings lifted him off of his feet. He screamed as they ascended. The second thief took one look at his shrinking companion, dropped the bag, and fled.

Still holding her prisoner, T'mere gave chase.

Since she had come here - since she had become aware that she had come here - one fact had stuck firmly in the back of T'mere's mind. Humans, though undeniably entertaining, were weak and slow. Easy prey, in the eyes of the People. Of course, T'mere knew enough now to suppress that original thought, but that _was_ her instinct.

That _was_ her fun.

The screams of the man in her arms grew only more intense as she narrowed the space between herself and his accomplice. The sound had just begun to grate on her nerves when she caught up, only seconds before picking the first man up. She heaved her victim forwards, throwing him against the other's back. They crashed together with the resounding crunch of someone's breaking bone. Her captive stopped screaming.

T'mere flew several more feet before stretching her wings against the wind. She slowed, brought her feet down underneath her, ran for several feet before finally coming to a halt. Her chest thundered with the double pounding of her two hearts. She sucked in a deep breath before turning to survey the carnage of her excitement. The thieves lay in a tangled heap, one unconscious and the other groaning. They were both blanketed in stray bills, spilt from a tear in their bag. It seemed a fitting way for them to be found.

Running a hand through her long, tawny hair, T'mere prepared to walk away. She would have done so, had a vague silhouette not caught her eye. He stood in the alley. Watching her. Recognizable only by the complete and utter lack of the light of eyes.

She recognized his movement an instant before he completed it. He shoved away from the wall, preparing to speak.

"Don't start, S'dara," T'mere commanded in a tone which left him no wiggling room. Gavin stopped dead.

"You..." he started, then trailed off. T'mere found it almost amusing to see him struck dumb.

"Something wrong, little hero?" she asked, closing the space between them. S'dara backed up a step, returning to his position on the wall. Looking back on that night on the roof, T'mere realized just how much the roles had reversed. She moved close to him, laying a hand on his shoulder and pushing him up against the wall. She felt him shudder under her touch. Frightened? No, not quite... excited. Overexcited. No small wonder. Until her fall, she had taught this boy everything he knew. Boy... he'd been just a little boy when she'd left, barely months before. How...? "The priests have toyed with you."

The thought of it made T'mere's throat ache. Why had she never realized before, the immorality of the sons of the Goddess? Taking a six year old boy and forcing him into the body of a man. She could only imagine the horrors S'dara had faced in her absence. Gently, she laid her palm against his cheek.

"They wanted me to find you," S'dara told her, leaning into her touch. "They sent me down here to bring you home."

"Your wings," T'mere sighed, gazing over his shoulder. It had taken a while for her to realize they should have been there. Gavin and S'dara had been so separate in her mind, she had forgotten...

"They tore them off," the way he sad it sickened her. He did not seem bothered. It excited him. "So I could blend in. So you would think I was stuck and bring me down." That grin returned, too broad and too bright. Insane. Gavin's grin. "They trusted me to bring you home, T'mere! They said I could restore your memories! And they're back! We can go home, now! The Goddess-"

T'mere stepped back, releasing him from the wall. His smile vanished. It was replaced by confusion at the sudden coolness of her eyes.

"T'mere?" he asked, creeping towards her like a whimpering dog. T'mere blood had run cold at his words, turned her off.

"I'm not going back, S'dara," she told him flatly. He stared at her. At least, she assumed he did. She frowned, recalling her last moment with him... the blood pouring from the gashes over his face. How he had eyes lef to see with, she could not say. Perhaps he did not.

"Why not?" he shrilled. T'mere shook her head firmly.

"I will not be a Sacrifice."

"But the Godde-"

"I don't give a fuck about the Goddess!"

S'dara seemed to crumble at her tone, like she'd struck him across the gut. He backed up against the wall again, keening. A kicked puppy. T'mere turned her back on that pathetic image.

"I don't care what they'll do to you," she told him flatly. "If you're scared, don't go back. But nothing's going to put me under that knife."

"But they have Na'sha-"

"Don't! Lie to me!" T'mere spun on him, irate. S'dara cringed again, covering his head, as though she might strike him. She had never hit him in his life. Shouting was worse. "Na'shak is here! Safe! Just like me!" S'dara's face slowly rose from the shelter of his arms. A haunting smile crept across his lips. The expression rubbed T'mere's feathers the wrong way. Abruptly, she was calm. More dangerous than when she was screaming. "So long as he is here, I will never go back."

She left him there, curled in on himself against the cold stone wall. Left the thieves she had forgotten to be found later, by the police, and perhaps S'dara with them. She did not wish it on him, but better prison than death. And she _would_ take his life, if he ever tried to drag her back into the Otherverse. The thought destroyed the good mood which had possessed her in the afternoon. She walked down the streets, possessed by her own personal storm-cloud.

She did not notice the children until they had already hit her.

Small as they were, they hardly hindered T'mere's movements. She hesitated slightly as they bounced off of her legs, looked down, met their eyes. They seemed quite the pair, especially in the wake of her frustrating reunion with her overgrown apprentice. Still so small, so frail, with round faces... and hate-filled eyes. At least, one of them. The girl looked terrified, but the little boy watched her - and her massive wings - without the slightest semblance of fear. He only moved to protect his trembling companion. A little warrior's spirit.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly, forgetting her rage. She reached down, intending to help them up. Dressed in rags, remarkably thin, it seemed as though only the boy's spirit was strong between the pair of them.

"What's it to you?" the boy snapped. Taken aback, T'mere withdrew her hand.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, frowning at him.

"We can take care of ourselves. We don't need you," he said. Glaring daggers into her skull. T'mere held her hands up, a human gesture of surrender.

"As you wish," she answered. The pair of them fled, the little boy dragging the girl along behind her. They left T'mere standing in utter bewilderment. Who had run into who?

YOUNG JUSTICE

The two children had returned to the place they called "home". It was a cleared out dumpster in an abandoned alley way. It was green, but there were too many dents and too much rust to really see it clearly. A side of the dumpster was torn open. Only large enough for children to get through without a struggle. Over the tear in the side was a thick cloth, that Jack had found on the street one day. They let themselves in, and quickly took to the floor. They had spread old thrown out towels, and drying laundry that had fallen from the clothes lines hanging from the windows above.

The air was musky, and smelled highly unpleasant. But it was home. At least to them. It had been their home for several years, and they were just barely getting by. Only time they ever got to really eat and pig out was on today. Halloween.

"Jack... We didn't get any candy today," the girl pouted. She sighed into the damp clothes. Jake, the older brother, lightly ran his hands through her tangled hair.

"We'll be fine Lizzie. I'll get us some treats, I promise," Jake replied. The girl giggled in response. Jack smiled, but it faded when he felt his stomach ache again. He hadn't eaten in well over a day. So he could almost feel his acids dissolving the walls of his stomach.

"But what about the scary Angel lady?" Lizzie asked. Her wide brown eyes turning to look at her older brother. Jack crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't want to think about that meta-human.

"Don't worry. I'll keep you safe from her. She won't hurt you," he replied. He hoped he really could. That lady looked like she was from the Justice League. But wasn't there already two people with wings? Did they really need _more_?

The grind of tearing metal disrupted any and all conversation. The brilliant glow of city lights flooded into the tight space of the dumpster, lit up the moldy blankets and the two dirty children huddled inside. Silhouetted against the starless city sky, a man with black cloth where his eyes should have been perched lightly on the edge of the dumpster, balanced like a squirrel, poised for the kill. His smile, brilliant white and pointed, split his face clean in half.

"You dare touch her!" the monster-man shrieked, dragging his claws down the dumpster's side in a shuddering counterpart to Lizzie's screams. "It's your fault she won't come!"

The man leapt down into the dumpster, nearly landing on the children. Lizzie scrambled wildly to escape, pressing herself up against the wall. Jack took one look at her terrified face and charged the madman, but he was no match. Too small, too starved, all it took was a backhand to the face to knock him out cold.

YOUNG JUSTICE

Several hours later.

Jack's eyes flickered open. He groaned loudly, as his vision was blurry. His head, specifically his face, felt like it had been stepped on by an elephant. Not sure where he was, or what had happened, he forced himself to sit up. It took a lot of effort, but being in the proper position helped clear his vision. He slowly surveyed his surroundings. He was still in the dumpster... No wonder the floor had felt so soft.

"Lizzie...? Lizzie are you here?" Jack called softly. He rubbed at his eyes, and turned around fully. He gasped and almost felt his pupils shrink as he took in the horrific sight. **[Trigger Warning] **

Lizzie lay in pieces. Whatever that man had been, it was not human - there was no sign of knife-cuts or gun wounds or anything a human might have left behind. Her right arm lay not severed, but torn from her body, ragged strips of flesh still dangling from the socket where the two pieces might once have joined. Her chest cavity stood open, as though her ribs were doors into her bare pink lungs. Blood was everywhere, painting the walls and the floor around her, painting _Lizzie_. She had no face anymore, would not have been recognizable were her bloodstained clothes not exactly the same as the ones Lizzie had worn. Her head hung at a sharp angle, neck snapped with the force it had taken her killer to remove her face. With his teeth, by the look of the scars.

Jack felt himself panicking. His breath coming in loud, hysterical inhales and exhales. He grabbed his head on either side, letting out the first scream he had in about a year. Wailing at the top of his lungs. His sister was dead. Not just dead... Destroyed! Ripped to pieces and... And eaten! Jack felt his whole body shaking. He turned away from the... Corpse. Not wanting to look at it. Not even wanting to be in the dumpster anymore. He fled as fast as he could.

Getting all the way down the alley before he stopped, and fell to the ground. As his breathing settled down he swore he could faintly hear the sound of someone laughing from the rooftops. The laughter sounded... Maniacal. Evil. Jack craned his neck to look towards the top of the buildings, but he couldn't see anyone. The only thing he could really make out anymore, was the sound of that laughter. Taunting him. Watching him struggle. The loss of his sister, was comical, to whoever it was. That was wrong. It made Jack's blood burn, roil up in his veins like some sort of living force - anger incarnate. His breathing quickened again. He would take that monster's life with his own hands. He would be the end of his sister's killer. Nothing could ever change that.

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><p><strong>AN: So there you have it. Another chapter out of the way. Notice how S'dara/Gavin seems to go after EVERYONE T'mere interacts with? Kinda messed up right? Right. The next chapter is Jake's. And honestly? I can't really say for sure what's going to happen. One thing I WILL say is it has Clark and Bruce in it. It... Might be a little depressing and snarky. Well it's always snarky. Okay I'm rambling. ANYWAYS. REVIEW! :D **


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Umm... Hi ther-*dodges knife* I uh... Have been *dodges axe* Okay okay okay! I'm sorry! I am SO SORRY. I've been procrastinating like a MOFO, and have been doing nothing but derping. At first it was stuff with finals, and ending the year, you all know that feel. But... Yeah. Anyways. I am proud to announce that this hiatus is OVER. You WILL be receiving pretty regular updates as of NOW. **

**I hope there's still some of you out there... Anyways. This chapter is a Jake chapter, and... YEAH! It was Clark in it. Be warned. This chapter contains fluff. **

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><p>The air was damp, and the mist swirled around Jake as he sauntered down his street. The light pollution from his area of the world made the stars nearly invisible. Normally, Jake would have felt sad, and flown somewhere where he could see the stars. But tonight, the boy wanted nothing more than to stroll around his neighborhood. The breeze of an autumn night tickled his cheeks, as he turned down another street.<p>

He spread his arms wide, and closed his eyes. There were no houses on this street, in fact, he was surrounded by tall, old and decrepit wooden fences on either side. The wood creaking, and groaning under the light wind. Jake paid the noise no mind, as he kept on his aimless stroll. He didn't even know what time it was, nor did he care. Though he was sure it was past midnight. On a school night no less. He let his arms fall against his sides with a slap, and opened his eyes.

What did school matter? His actual friends were all on Young Justice. Or at least, associated with it. In one way, he felt happy to be a young superhero. Never a sidekick like the rest. On the other... He almost wished he didn't have any powers. That he was just... Normal. _Yeah I bet you wish that... Mister, I-don't-want-to-be-anything-but-normal, _he thought to himself.  
>Deciding he'd rather be in the sky, he let himself lift off the ground. Gravity no longer binding him in its firm grasp. Rising at a normal speed, he watched his neighborhood get smaller and smaller. It was such a quiet place, most of the houses were dark, and there wasn't a car in sight. The houses were nearly identical to his own. Cookie cutter style. But he knew he was the only one who got regular visits from both Batman and Superman.<p>

The sight of his neighborhood was suddenly cut short as he went through a moisture-filled cloud. Passing through it, he found he'd drifted above cloud level. Safe from anyone seeing him. He stopped himself right there, not wanting to move. Looking up, he could see the sky beautifully. No lights to prevent him from seeing the stars now.

He didn't know any constellations, but he could see the large gathering of stars that made up the spiral arm of the milky way galaxy. It was beautiful. His eyes had been getting stronger, so he could see all kinds of different colored stars. Almost like he had Kryptonian vision. But he knew that idea was ridiculous. As much as he idolized Superman, he never wanted to be him. Way too much responsibility.

He moved himself onto his back, and hovered just on top of a cloud. If one were able to look at him from the ground, it would appear he was lying on that cloud. Jake folded his arms behind his head, and just gazed up at that gorgeous sky. The wind blew against him harshly. It was much colder at his altitude. And yet, he was comfortable. More comfortable than he had been all day in fact. There was nothing to do at Mount Justice, since yesterday they had that whole ordeal with Klarion the Witch Boy.  
>He wondered if it were possible to fall asleep up here. If somehow he could keep himself afloat without being conscious of it. But perhaps it was the best, that he couldn't. Because he'd surely be spotted upon awakening. The sky never stays this cloudy for long.<p>

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" a voice said from directly beside him. Jake nearly jumped out of his skin, flailing about randomly. He whipped his head to the right, to see none other than Superman himself floating beside him. In the exact same position he himself had just been in.

"Superman?" Jake asked bewildered. The man turned to him, smiled, and nodded. Jake felt his heart melt. He saw where Kon got his good looks from.

"I saw you up here, and decided this might not be such a bad idea myself. You don't mind, do you?" Superman asked. Jake quickly shook his head. Going back to his initial floating position.

"So... Superma-," Jake started. But Superman held up a hand in protest.

"We're alone, you can say my name," Clark said. Jake smiled. He always liked this man. Ever since he actually got to _meet _him.

"Shouldn't you be home with Lois? I bet she's worried about you. And you have work tomorrow," Jake teased.

"Shouldn't _you_ be in bed? You have school tomorrow," Clark retorted.

"Touche," the boy replied. "Hey Clark? I was actually hoping I could talk to you about something. Though you might not like the topic..."

"Shoot," Clark said. Jake swallowed hard. Now was as good a chance as any. He was just hoping he didn't get an anger explosion.

"It's about Conner. You know, Superboy," Jake started. He looked over at the man, and found no change in appearance. Not even a frown. "I know I'm just a teenager, and that you really have no reason to listen, but..." Clark said nothing. He was clearly content with listening to what Jake had to say. Or maybe he was tuning Jake out. The boy couldn't really tell. "I just... He would die for your approval Clark. That's all he really wants. Is just for you to like him. He just told me earlier today, that Isara was the closest thing he's ever had to a sister. But maybe... Maybe what he really needs, is a brother."

"Maybe you're right. I just can't help but feel unnerved around him though. It's not his fault either. I just don't like how he was made from a DNA sample I didn't know was taken," Clark sighed. Jake decided that was the best he was going to get out of the man, and chose not to push it further.

The conversation moved on from there. The two discussed many things. They laughed, and joked, and talked about life. It was clearly something they both needed, because when the sun started to rise, neither of them really wanted to say goodbye. With the small amount of light in the sky, he could really get a look at Clark. Jake could clearly see the traces of exhaustion dusting the man's features. The very tiny dark circles underneath his eyes, that you'd need supervision to see. The slight slouch of his shoulders and back, and the way his hair had un-gelled itself.

"Sorry about all this... Looks like you could have really used the sleep," Jake said guiltily. Clark let out a small laugh.

"No that's okay. I think I needed this more," the man answered. The two were floating in standing positions now, watching the sunrise together. "Well. I had better get back to Metropolis. Don't be a stranger, Jake."

"Same goes for you. Isara and I don't see you enough," Jake said. Clark extended his hand out for Jake to shake, but the boy was having _none _of that. He flew over, and gave Clark a tight hug. Clark paused for a moment, before hugging him back. The embrace was over quick, but Jake now had mental bragging rights about hugging Superman.

The two finally parted ways, and Jake began his descent into his neighborhood. Only now that people were waking up, he had to land in a secluded place. Once he came out from the clouds, he saw that he was directly above the same alley he had ascended from. Perfect spot. Touching down softly, he could really see how the wooden fence had fallen into disrepair.

He quickly walked out of the alley, and began the small journey to his house. He'd been up all night, talking with _Superman _about life. He should be exhausted, and yet he felt fine. Better than when he had decided to take his walk anyways.

He rounded a street corner, and his house came into view. He had a little over an hour to prepare before he had to leave for school. Just enough time for a shower and breakfast. He was hoping, that today would be slow too. _Here's to hoping today is a slow day, _Jake thought to himself.

YOUNG JUSTICE

Jake felt his feet root into the ground. He stood in shock, watching the... Winged-boy poke around in the kitchen of the Cave. Who the hell was this? Why was he in here? Did someone let him in? Jake knew he wasn't a threat, he could tell that much just from _looking _at the... Guy... Man... Boy... thing. But that didn't explain why he was standing in the kitchen, munching on the left over snickerdoodles that Jake had come to fetch. He was going to grab them, and then have a mini-picnic in Kon's room.

"The hell is this... Uh. Hi, hello, greetings good sir. You wanna tell me why the hell you're in here? Eating the snickerdoodles I was planning to take to my special someone?" Jake asked loudly, as he strode into the room. The winged man jumped slightly and looked around, shaking a lock of white hair back out of his face to stand out against the rest of his dark waves.

"Oh," he murmured, blinking at Jake. For a moment he did not seem to know what to make of the newcomer, but then he smiled. A brilliant, broad smile. Fully welcoming. "You must be Jake." Jake took a few steps back. _How in the hell does he KNOW that? _

"Uhh... Okay I'm really creeped out right now. I'm just gonna... Go?" Jake said. He slowly began backing out of the room. The winged man's face fell in disappointment.

"No, wait!" he called out. His deep gray wings rustled in discontentment. He picked up the cookie container and held it out to Jake. "You wanted these, didn't you?" he asked. "T'mere told me not to eat them all."

"Oh. Well. Nice of her to mention that to you," Jake replied. He cautiously took the container from the man. "I'm... Gonna go now. Bye!" Jake didn't even bother running, he lifted off the ground and flew through the doorway. Only to run right into T'mere herself, nearly knocking her to the ground. "Ow."

"Ow yourself," T'mere muttered, catching herself on the doorframe. She kept her place in the doorway, directly in Jake's way. "Look where you're go-" her eyes settled on the bewildered expression of her winged companion. She sighed. "Na'shak... what are you doing?"

"I... was just saying hello?" Na'shak answered with an innocent shrug.

"May I rephrase your question? What is he _doing _here in the first place?" Jake said. He wore an exasperated expression while looking in between the two. T'mere raised a thin eyebrow at the question.

"Same thing as I am doing here," she answered calmly. "He fell from the Oververse. He was my... slave, I suppose. When I lived up there."

"My mind went places I don't think you want to know about, with that statement. Oh I am so out of here," Jake said. He stepped around T'mere, and flew down the hallway without looking back. T'mere and Na'shak were left standing in the kitchen, watching his back.

"What did I do wrong?" Na'shak asked, frowning slightly. T'mere shook her head slightly.

"It's Jake. He does that sometimes,"

Jake touched down after turning down a hallway. He leaned against the wall, and sighed loudly. He was exhausted. _That's what you get for not sleeping in over twenty-four hours_, he mentally chastised. He stared up at the ceiling, it's lack of color and design was a pleasant sight. Turning his gaze onto the remainder of the snickerdoodles, his thoughts began to wander back to why he'd come to the cave in the first place.

He had wanted to see Kon again, but now he wasn't so sure that was wise. He knew the Superboy would love some company, but Jake just didn't feel up to it anymore. Minutes ago he was all excited, but now? He just... Didn't feel like it. Mood swings again. He'd been having them for a little while now. One minute inconceivably happy, the next, hopelessly depressed. Prime example being right now.

He let go of the container of treats, and let it float out in front of him. It didn't move an inch, it just stayed perfectly still as if it were on something solid. Jake began walking quite slowly towards his original destination. Maybe he'd have another swing and be in a more pleasant mood if he took his time. Each step sent tiny tingles up his legs, nerves screaming at him to stop and rest. But he kept moving. Kept going even though his features were painted with exhaustion and a certain level of sadness.

Kon's room came into view. Jake decided there was no point to actually seeing the boy. It would cause pointless worry, and an unwanted surge of over-protective tendencies. He stopped outside the room. Studying the featureless door, and seeing absolutely nothing of interest to focus his attention on. And yet, this plain, and dull looking portal into a room of safety, was oddly alluring. Jake shook his head. He was getting all poetic again.

The box drifted to the ground, and sat peacefully outside the door. Then Jake continued walking, beyond the door that he had so many times rushed through. Jake almost felt the urge to smile, as he recalled all the times he and his love had laughed, and had fun together through that doorway. He sighed again, electing to just go home and sulk. Sulk over what? Had anything actually occurred to cause such a depressing mood? No. And yet, he was only on a downward spiral, that he did not want to pass onto others. Maybe he was changing again. Maybe this was... Him changing into who he was supposed to be.

He was so focused in his thoughts, he didn't feel the presence behind him. Didn't notice that he had been followed. Jake shoved his hands into his pockets and watched his feet take step after step, heading towards a place he could go out for another fly. Now that he _could _fly, he'd all but stopped using the zeta-tubes. During his talk with Clark, he'd discovered that he was just as fast as The Superman himself when it came to flight. A terrifying thought.

The rusting of feathers from behind him snapped him out of his thoughts. _Please let that be T'mere, please let that be T'mere, please let that be T'mere, _he mentally pleaded.

"Going somewhere?" T'mere's voice, flat and calm, sounded behind Jake.

"I don't know. Maybe. Actually, I don't know much of anything anymore," Jake answered. He didn't bother to turn and face her. He didn't even stop his movement. He just kept walking down the hallway. Maybe she would follow, maybe she wouldn't.

"I know how that feels," T'mere answered softly. She moved up closer to him, walking as near as the span of her wings would allow.

"The thing is? I don't know what's going on... With _me_ I mean. I used to be so grounded. I was in charge of my body, and ready to take on the world. But now? This whole... Look that I've got going now, fabulous as it may be, wasn't even my conscious decision. And don't even get me started on these Kryptonian-level powers," Jake complained.

T'mere glanced sideways at Jake, then slipped around so that she was walking backwards, facing him. Her wings beat softly as she thought, faintly gray in the dim lighting, where once they had glistened whiter than milk.

"It frightens you," she observed, tipping her head to look at him.

"Understatement," Jake murmured.

T'mere turned her back on him again, leading now. She walked in silence for a moment.

"Fly with me," she invited him, gesturing with her chin up the hall, towards the zeta-tube. She was not sure exactly what to do for Jake, but she knew a good evening fly in the city lights always cleared her head.

Besides, if she could get him home, maybe he would rest.

"I don't see why not. I was planning on doing that from the beginning," Jake answered. "But we can just use the backdoor y'know."

T'mere chuckled to herself.

"I can't fly as fast as you," she pointed out. "We'd be stuck in Happy Harbor."

"Believe me, you don't know how fast I can go," Jake whispered. "I can fly slowly. That's... That's not a problem."

"We wouldn't get anywhere," T'mere countered. "Now come on. We'll zeta out to some city where we can talk without being overheard."

"Fine," Jake answered. He pulled his hand out of his left pocket, and was surprised to see his mask clinging onto his fingers. "Well that's convenient. Lead the way." Slapping the mask onto his face, he was ready.

T'mere led them out to the zeta-beam, and from there to Boston, Massachusetts. She hit the air as soon as she could, beating up into the sky. She did not much care if she was spotted. She never had. T'mere was not one for hiding. Jake flew after her. Matching her speed was simple, especially if he could keep pace with the Superman himself.

"So," she called as the air whisked past her ears. "You've met Na'shak."

"Oh that's who that was? Don't really like him much," Jake replied bluntly. "But. You know about my reaction to newbies. Zatanna being the obvious exception."

"I know better than most," T'mere agreed, smirking to herself. "What made you stop hating me?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was something to do with Kon, maybe it has nothing to do with that," Jake answered. T'mere twisted around in midair, staring at him.

"You thought I _liked_ him, didn't you?" she asked. She made no attempt to conceal her amusement at this.

"Ehh, what can I say? I'm territorial," Jake joked. The first joke he'd made all day, and it caused a genuine smile to cross his face. A smile T'mere immediately returned.

"Idiot," she teased softly, turning over in the air again. "Angel was a clueless child. She wouldn't have known what to do with Superboy if she _had_ wanted him."

"_He _doesn't know what to do in that sort of situation either," Jake murmured. "But that's good. Wouldn't want anyone going anywhere _near _that boy. Or the places where the sun don't shine."

"You really _are_ protective of him," T'mere's voice became suddenly subdued. Turned away, Jake could not see her face. "I wonder if he's as protective of you."

"Of course I'm protective of hi- Wait what?" Jake flew underneath T'mere so he could get close enough to her without interfering with her wings. "What are you implying?"

"When was the last time you spoke with him, Jake?" T'mere asked, still not looking at him. "I mean really spent some time with him."

"I... Uhh... Boy is the sky pretty!" Jake dodged. Not wanting to get into Kon at the moment.

"You're being childish," T'mere snapped. The venom in her voice was... unjust, somehow. Too fierce. Her wings paused in their beat as she swallowed her anger. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Mood swings. I get it," Jake waved her explosion off. Apparently he wasn't the only one, who was going through some shit.

T'mere pinched her nose lightly and gave her head a short shake.

"I know how you feel," she observed evenly. "I don't know what's going on with me, either. Something's different." She sighed and fixed her eyes on the horizon again. "I only meant that... if Kon's as protective of you as you are of him... he's got to be dying of worry right now. You used to spend all your time with him."

"Maybe he is. Hard to say with him. But. A little space won't kill him. Who knows, maybe we'll even have sex again," Jake said offhandedly. T'mere gave him an odd look at that. Jake swooped out from underneath T'mere and returned to his initial position at her side.

"And what about Isara?" she asked, swerving in to touch one white-gloved hand to a strand of his deep midnight hair. "Does she know about all this?"

"Oh probably," Jake shrugged. "I don't see why it matters though."

T'mere bit back and angry retort at that. Jake did a loop around T'mere and her large wingspan. Enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing through his short hair.

"It matters because she's your sister," T'mere told him, her voice tense.

"She may be my sister... But I doubt there's anything she can do to stop it. She sees the physical changes, and knows about my new powers. As does Kon. But no one but you knows about the emotional side effects," Jake said. "I don't like opening up to people. At all. So this is probably a one-time thing."

"I've noticed that myself," T'mere nodded. "Don't worry. I'm no Angel. All this... touchy-feely stuff doesn't happen of-" she cut off with a sharp gasp. Her wings froze in their sockets, and T'mere began to fall.

It was only a moment's drop, just a few feet lost before she was re-engaged, flapping back up to Jake's height. Her breath came short and fast. Pain and frustration warred in her brilliant blue eyes.

"Jesus you almost gave me a heart attack! You okay?" Jake asked. His face was covered in concern and paranoia.

"Fine," T'mere hissed, giving her head yet another sharp shake, as though dizzy. Her wings hesitated in their beat again. "Just fine."

"Fine like Lex Luthor is fine," Jake muttered. "Anyways. What now? We've flown over Boston about ten times."

T'mere blinked and glanced down. She did seem to remember crossing this way before...

"Not sure," she answered. "I just wanted to get out of the cave, to be honest."

"I've just wanted to **get get** _away_. Grab Kon and go somewhere warm. Maybe to... That place," Jake absentmindedly mumbled.

"You make no sense," T'mere told Jake quietly. "But why don't you? For a day?"

"I'm a superhero. I don't really get that luxury. And if cliches exist, which they _do. _Shit will hit the fan if I take a day off," Jake countered.

T'mere shook her head slightly.

"Shit that the rest of us can't handle?" she asked, her tone teasing, if slightly strained.

"I didn't say that. But... Maybe you're right. Maybe I should just... Leave," Jake gave in. "At least... For a day."

"It might do you good. I can't be sure. I've never had a vacation."

"I haven't had one since I started hero-ing. Unless I get sick. In which case. Don't really have a choice," Jake sighed.

"Hero-ing is a rather... involved job, isn't it?" T'mere smiled to herself. "Since the enemies keep coming back."

"It is. But I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing at the moment. It's a lot to handle, and we're just angst-filled teens waiting to join the League... But. It's worth it in the end," Jake said. "Oh great, now I sound corny."

T'mere had not been listening. She looked up, brows furrowed slightly.

"Jake," she murmured, her confused tone an echo of Angel's. "If they just keep coming back... why don't we just kill our enemies?" Jake's face fell for a moment. It was a question that went through his mind countless times. _Everyone's _mind countless times. But he'd come up with his own answer.

"Because. I admit, it'd be easy to just kill every villain who rose up. But then... Doesn't that just show that might makes right? We'd be no better than them. We get all dressed up in costumes and uniforms, so that we can set an example. For people to be the best that they can be. So that we can show them, killing isn't the answer. It's... A really hard argument to make, but it's one I firmly believe in. Maybe I've just been spending too much time around Cla-Superman," Jake answered. "Wow I sound like a Hallmark card."

"So you've never killed before?" T'mere pressed, refusing to be distracted.

"What? No! Are you kidding? I... Couldn't. I don't think I'd be able to," Jake answered quickly. "No wait. That's a lie. It'd be... Almost too easy to. To go villain and just... Watch the world burn."

T'mere turned her gaze on Jake, just... staring at him, unblinking, emotionless. Reading his face. Reading his mind? No, that was not one of her powers, but that was what she seemed to be doing.

"It is too easy," she agreed quietly. "But you're lucky. Don't ever kill, if you can help it."

The way she spoke, she sounded much older than nineteen.

"I... Won't? Whyyyy does it sound like you're talking from experience?" Jake asked. A prickle made it's way down his spine. He didn't want to know the answer. He was sure. T'mere had gone quiet, contemplative, all laughter in the past.

"I've regained my memories," she answered, as though that were a satisfactory answer. Which it was not. Jake already _knew_ that.

"Captain Obvious..." Jake whispered. "That... Doesn't really answer my question."

"I come from a world where we were surrounded by death," T'mere answered. "My people would kill before they could fluently speak." She did not look at Jake, eyes riveted on the horizon, not wanting to see his reactions. "I've fought in more wars than your world has ever had."

"Oh. Well. That's actually better than I thought," Jake responded. T'mere's lip twitched subtlely.

"Just... take it from someone with blood on her hands," she murmured. "Don't start killing. You'll never stop."

"Noted," Jake responded. "You know... I think I'll talk your advice. Take a day off. I'll go say bye to Kon, go home and pack some stuff, then just kinda... Disappear for a day. Sound good to you?" Jake asked rhetorically.

"Only if you come back," T'mere answered anyways. "I'm not going to deal with your boyfriend if you disappear."

"You shouldn't need to. He'll go to his sister if that happens," Jake laughed.

T'mere stared at Jake, nonplussed.

"He's a clone. He doesn't have a sister."

"Not a biological one, no... But he does have one," Jake stated. T'mere just kept staring at him. "I'll leave you to figure that one out."

"Right..." T'mere muttered. She looked away again, and seemed to really _see_ the horizon for the first time. "What time is it...?"

"I... Don't know. It's probably close to midnight or something," Jake said offhandedly.

T'mere hesitated a moment before speaking.

"M'gann... will wonder where I am," she observed. Her tone was almost... worried.

"Yeah. And Kon's probably found the snickerdoodles I left for him. Now _he's _probably worried. Joy," Jake let a small smile creep back onto his face. "He's adorable when exasperated."

"Then go see him," T'mere suggested. "Or you'll miss the cuteness."

"Oh he'll be listening for me. He'll hear me when I land on Mount Justice. Because I am _not _zeta-ing back to the cave. I'll fly," Jake answered.

"As you wish," T'mere answered. "But that will take me until sunrise. So... I'll see you around."

"See you around~," Jake said. He waved lightly before charging in the direction of Rhode Island. Breaking the sound barrier as he went.

YOUNG JUSTICE

Jake touched down in the forest that surrounded Mount Justice. He had just said goodbye to T'mere only minutes ago. He briefly wondered who got there first. She really was a great friend. Probably his best. Hell, everyone on the team was a great friend. Though he hadn't really bonded with Kaldur or Dick very much...  
>The door to the cave opened for him, and strolled inside. It was after midnight, but he knew Kon was up waiting for him. Hell, Kon was probably listening to his footsteps right now. That, or the Superboy was fast asleep in some unbelievably attractive position. <em>Why are all Kryptonians sexy? Like... <em>_**All **__of them? _

He let himself float off the ground once more, and flew in the direction of Kon's room. He never walked anywhere if he could help it. Besides, he thought it would be fun to sneak up on his boyfriend. If it was possible to sneak up on a Kryptonian, that is. The journey to the room was quick, and he was determined to see Kon this time. But as he took a step forward to activate the automatic door, he found himself hesitating before putting his foot down. The container of snickerdoodles was gone. That either meant Kon had taken them, or that winged jackass did. He hoped Kon took them, because that would mean- What was he doing?

It seemed like lately, his life had been built around Kon. As if that was the only story he'd ever have. Was it the only story he was going to have? Despite his body going through meta-human puberty, or... Whatever it was doing, he felt he himself had done almost nothing of importance.

His foot finally touched the ground, and the door opened for him. Kon never locked his door. Jake would have to break him of that habit. Stepping in, the room was dark. The door closed behind him, with a soft puff of air blowing past Jake's ear. A soft smile graced his lips at the sound of even breathing.

Despite it being so dark he could barely see his hands in front of his face, Jake made it to Kon's bed without tripping over the various piles of jeans and shirts. Reaching the bed, Jake ran his hands along the extremely soft bedspread. Which he could just barely make out the sleeping form of the Kryptonian boy hugging a pillow. Which he guessed was a substitute for himself. _Jake don't you dare. Sacrifice doesn't... Okay fine. Squee. _

He wished he could see what expression was on his boyfriend's face. What dreams he was having, and what he'd done with his day. But Jake knew if there was one thing he valued, it was a good night's sleep. He leaned forward forward, placing a quick yet delicate kiss on the boy's cheek. Absentmindedly he ran a hand through the boy's hair. Even now, in sleep, Kon's beauty took Jake's breath away. Though he couldn't really see the boy's face through the darkness, he imagined a peaceful expression.

"Have a nice sleep, I love you," Jake whispered before he turned to leave. He made his way back over to the door, not noticing the empty container that carried the snickerdoodles. Reaching the door, he turned back to the sleeping boy. "For what it's worth, I know you don't feel as significant, but if you ask me? You'll always be my Superman. And nothing will ever change that." He left without another word, without looking back. Not seeing the small smile grace Kon's lips.

"Love you too."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay! There's your chapter! The next one is already under construction. So. Yeah! We got a couple of new reviewers, which is GREAT! Keep us updated on your thoughts! Review to your heart's content! :D I really shouldn't be saying that, since I bet some of you are willing to throttle me right now. Anyways... I'll just... Be going now... (but seriously do review) **


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